Dutch word of the day

Kletsmajoor

chattering fool, blabbermouth
[noun]
[de klets-ma-joor, klets-ma-joors]

"Kletsmajoor" literally translates to chatter major. A "kletsmajoor" talks a lot, not specifically gossip, just a lot :-)

A popular synonym is "kletskous" (lit.: chatter sock, see also Kletsen). Sometimes you may also see the somewhat outdated "kletsmeier".

Examples:
- "Frank is gewoon een ordinaire kletsmajoor." 
("Frank is just a tacky blabbermouth.")

- "Je noemt mij een kletsmajoor? Je bent niet goed snik!" 
("You're calling me a chattering fool? You're out of your mind!")

- "De griep zal de mensheid binnen 20 jaar decimeren..." - "Jij kletsmajoor..." 
("The flu will decimate mankind within 20 years..." - "You blabbermouth...")

- "Wees voorzichtig met wat je zegt. Kletsmajoren komen niet ver in de politiek..." 
("Be careful with what you say. Chattering fools will not get far in politics...")

Expressions:
- "Iemand de oren van het hoofd kletsen.": to talk the hind leg off a donkey / to talk really much. (Literally: to talk the ears off someone's head).
- "Uit je nek kletsen.": to talk nonsense. (Literally: to talk out of your neck).

Example:
"Frank zat weer behoorlijk uit z'n nek te kletsen tijdens de vergadering."
("Frank was really talking nonsense again during the meeting.")

Related words:
- Kletsen: to chat, to chatter [verb] [kletsen, kletste, h. gekletst].
- Roddelen: to gossip [verb] [roddelen, roddelde, h. geroddeld].

Example:
- "Ik? Een affaire met de buurvrouw? Wie heeft er geroddeld? Dat slaat nergens op!" 
("Me? An affair with my neighbour? Who told you that gossip? That makes no sense at all!")

Ordinair

vulgar, tacky
[adjective/adverb]
[or-di-nair]

Although Dutch "ordinair" can be used in the same meaning as English "ordinary", it's mainly used in the meaning of "vulgar" ("vulgair" in Dutch), "tacky", or "uncivilized". Informally, some people use the abbreviation "ordi" for "ordinair".

Examples:
- "Wat een ordinaire jurk, je kunt er recht doorheen kijken!" 
("What a tacky dress, you can see right through it!")

- "Of je dat ordinair vindt of niet, is een kwestie van smaak." 
("If you find that vulgar or not, is a matter of taste.")

- "Hij gebruikt in elke zin minstens drie scheldwoorden; wat een ordinair taalgebruik." 
("He uses at least three swearing words in every sentence; what a vulgar use of language.")

- "Al dat nepgoud maakt het er niet geraffineerder op, het ziet er eerder ordinair uit." 
("All that fake gold doesn't make it more refined, it rather makes it look tacky.")

- "Ze heeft niet zoveel met al dat bling-bling, dat vindt ze ordinair." 
("She doesn't really like all that bling-bling, she thinks it's vulgar.")

Related words:
- Tuig: scum [noun] [het tuig, <no plural>].
- Platvloers: coarse, uncivilized [adjective/adverb].

Example:
- "Die comedian heeft erg platvloerse humor."
("That comedian has very rough humor.")

- Onbeschaafd: uncivilized [adjective/adverb].

Opsporen

to track, trace, detect
[verb]
[op-spo-ren, spoor-de op, op-ge-spoord]

"Opsporen" is both used for people and errors. In case of people it is mostly used in the context of law enforcement.

Examples:
- "Het spijt ons, maar de fout is nog steeds niet opgespoord." 
("We are sorry, but the error still has not been detected.")

- "Het opsporen van misdadigers zou de eerste prioriteit moeten hebben!" 
("(The) Tracking down (of) criminals should have the first priority!")

- "De privédetective maakte furore door diverse vermiste personen op te sporen." 
("The private investigater caused a furore/furor by tracking down several missing persons.")

- "De politie heeft de dader nog niet opgespoord en roept de hulp in van de kijkers." 
("The police have not yet tracked down the perpetrator en request the assistance of the viewers." Also see the Extra: "Opsporing verzocht".)

Related words:
- Spoor: track, trace, mark [noun] [het spoor, de sporen].
- Opsporing: tracing, location [noun] [de opsporing, de opsporingen].
- Spoorzoeken: activity of tracking, tracing [noun] [het spoorzoeken]. Note that 'spoorzoeken' is also a verb but only used in the infinitive form.

Extra:
"Opsporing verzocht", literally "Tracing requested" is a popular Dutch tv program in which the police ask the viewers for help with tracking down perpetrators by showing real footage or reconstructions of a crime. This method proves to be very successful.

Uier

udder
[noun]
[de ui-er, de ui-ers]

"Uiers" are the mammary glands of ruminants: mammals that re-chew their plant-based food before further processing. The most well-known Dutch animal with "uiers" is of course a "koe": a cow :-) 

Sometimes "uiers" are used to refer to a woman's (large) breasts, but this is strongly sexist and derogatory.

"Uier" has nothing to do with "ui": onion...

Examples:
- "Een koe produceert melk via de uier." 
("A cow produces milk via the udder.")

- "Ken jij nog meer dieren met uiers?" - "Jazeker: geiten en schapen hebben ook uiers." 
("Do you know more animals with udders?" -"Sure: goats and sheep have udders too.")

- "Anita is afgestudeerd op de invloed van uierbehandeling op de kwaliteit van melk." -"Te gek! Dat wist ik niet!" 
("Anita has graduated on the influence of udder care on milk quality." - "Great! I didn't know that!")

Expressions:
- "Melk is goed voor elk": (Dutch rhyme) milk is good for everybody.

Related words:
- Melk: milk [noun] [de melk, <no plural>].
- Melken: to milk [verb] [melken, molk, h. gemolken].

Example:
- "Koeien worden tegenwoordig niet meer door de boer zelf maar door een machine gemolken."
("Nowadays, cows are no longer milked by the farmer himself, but by a machine.")

- Borst: 1. chest. 2. breast [noun] [de borst, de borsten].
- Koe: cow [noun] [de koe, de koeien].
- Schaap: sheep [noun] [het schaap, de schapen].
- Geit: goat [noun] [de geit, de geiten].

Extra:
For more information on Dutch dairy farming, check out the (Dutch) website of "Productschap Zuivel", literally: productship dairy. A "productschap" is a public organization that represents businesses that process one product/resource in different phases of the product chain.

Deken

1. blanket
[noun]
[de de-ken, de de-kens]

A "deken" is a blanket. Good old-fashioned blankets on Dutch beds are more and more replaced with "dekbedden": duvets.

Examples:
- "Heb je nog een deken? Ik heb het koud." 
("Do you have another blanket? I'm cold." Lit.: "I have it cold.")

- "Zijn liefde is als een warme deken..." 
("His love is like a warm blanket...")

- "Ik denk dat ik de griep heb." - "Neem nog een extra deken en blijf in bed." 
("I think I have the flu." - "Take extra blanket and stay in bed.")

Expressions:
- "Onder de dekens": (lit.) under the blankets: in bed.

Related words:
- Bed: bed [noun] [het bed, de bedden].
- Laken: sheet [noun] [het laken, de lakens].

Example:
- "Tussen de lakens."
("Between the sheets.")

- Kleed: rug, cloth [noun] [het kleed, de kleden].

Extra:
Michael Jackson's third child Prince Michael Jackson II is nicknamed Blanket, which is translated to "Dekentje" in Dutch: little blanket...

2. deacon
[noun]
[de de-ken, de de-kens]

A "deken" is also a deacon: a clerical rank.

The Dutch word for dean is "decaan": the chairman of a faculty at a university, or "schooldecaan": An officer of a college or high school who counsels students and supervises the enforcement of rules.

Examples:
- "De deken leidde de hoogmis in de basiliek van Meerssen." 
("The deacon was leading the high mass in Meerssen's basilica.)

- "Weet jij het verschil tussen een deken en een bisschop?" 
("Do you know the difference between a deacon and a bishop?")

Related words:
- Kerk: church [noun] [de kerk, de kerken].
- Priester: priest [noun] [de priester, de priesters].
- Pastoor: pastor, father, priest [noun] [de pastoor, de pastoors].
- Bisschop: bishop [noun] [de bisschop, de bisschoppen].
- Dominee: vicar, minister, preacher [noun] [de dominee, dominees].

Griep

flu, influenza
[noun]
[de griep, <no plural>]

The mexican flu is all over the Netherlands now, at least in the news... Mexican flu translates to "Mexicaanse griep". It used to be "varkensgriep": swine flu, lit.: pig flu.

If you have the flu, you can tell your Dutch doctor: "ik heb griep" (lit.: I have flu) or "ik heb de griep" (lit.: I have the flu). Of course, we wish you "beterschap": get well soon (lit.: improvement, change for the better).

If you're not sure you have the flu, you can say you feel a bit "grieperig": (lit.) flu-y/ish.

Examples:
- "Ik ben ziek, volgens mij heb ik de griep." 
("I'm ill, I think I have the flu." Lit.: "According to me, I have the flu.")

- "Heeft Frank de gewone griep of de Mexicaanse griep." 
("Does Frank have the normal flu or the Mexican flu.")

- "Ik heb last van een verkoudheid." - "Pas maar op, voor je het weet heb je de griep." 
("I have a cold." - "Just be careful, you'll have the flu before you know it." Lit.: "I'm burdened with a cold")

- "Heeft Marianne alweer de griep? Ze blijft maar kwakkelen." 
("Does Marianne have the flu again? She just keeps on being under the weather.")

Expressions:
- "Zo ziek als een hond": very sick, sick as a dog.

Related words:
- Ziek: sick, ill [adjective].
- Inenten: to vaccinate [verb] [inenten, entte in, ingeënt].

Example:
- "Over twee weken zullen alle kinderen tussen zes maanden en vijf jaar ingeënt worden."
("In two weeks, all children between six months and five years will be vaccinated.")

- Verkoudheid: cold [noun] [de verkoudheid, de verkoudheden].
- Grieperig: (lit.) flu-y/ish [adjective].

Example:
- "Ik voel me een beetje grieperig..." - "Onzin, je hebt gewoon een kater!"
("I feel a bit like I'm getting the flu..." - "Nonsense, you just have a hangover!")

Frustratie

frustration
[noun]
[de frus-tra-tie, de frus-tra-ties]

We all suffer from it from time to time :-) If you do, then you are "gefrustreerd" ("frustrated").

Examples:
- "Ik kan me je frustratie goed voorstellen!" 
("I can imagine your frustration (very) well.")

- "Vroeg of laat krijgen we allemaal te maken met frustratie en spanningen." 
("Sooner or later we all experience frustration and tension.")

- "Ik heb helemaal geen last van frustratie!" - "Rustig maar hoor; ben je soms gefrustreerd ofzo?" 
("I am not bothered by frustration at all!" - "My, take it easy; are you frustrated or something?")

- "Nederlands leren was voor mij jarenlang een frustratie, maar nu is er gelukkig de DWOTD! ;-) " 
("For many years learning Dutch was a frustration (for me), but luckily we now have the DWOTD!")

- "Ik weet niet, dit roept bij mij eerder een gevoel van frustratie op dan dat ik het ervaar als een uitdaging." 
("I don't know, this rather makes me feel frustrated than that I see it as a challenge.")

Related words:
- Gefrustreerd: frustrated [adjective/adverb].
- Frusti: frustrated [adjective]. Note that his is colloquial.

Example:
- "Let maar niet op hem, hij is een beetje frusti."
("Don't mind him, he is a bit frustrated.")

- Frustreren: to frustrate [verb] [frustreerde, gefrustreerd].

Bolwerk

bastion, bulwark, stronghold  
[noun]
[het bol-werk, de bol-wer-ken]

"Bolwerk" has exactly the same meaning as the English "bulwark": literally, it's a wall of earth or other material built for defence. It's also used to denote a defence or safeguard. In its figurative sense, it  points to a high concentration of people who have certain similar views or characteristics. In Dutch, the verb related to "bolwerk" is "bolwerken", which means something like "to cope with" or "to manage".

Examples:
- "Vanuit de bolwerken werden de Nederlandse steden vroeger verdedigd." 
("In the old days, Dutch cities were defended from the bulwarks.")

- "De projectontwikkelaar heeft nieuwe appartementen gebouwd aan het Servaasbolwerk in Utrecht." 
("The real estate developer has built new apartments on the Servaasbulwark in Utrecht ." Note that "Servaasbolwerk" is the name of a street in Utrecht referring to the building that was located there.)

- "Die stad is een bolwerk van kustenaars." 
("That city is a bulwark of artists.")

- "<Plaatje:> Een bolwerk van goede smaak." 
("<Picture:> A bulwark of good taste.")

- "Het is moeilijk ertussen te komen als vrouw: het is een echt mannenbolwerk." 
("It's difficult to get a position there if you're a woman: it's a bulwark of men.")

- "Ik heb twee deadlines en mijn computer is net vastgelopen: ik kan het niet meer bolwerken." 
("I have two deadlines and my computer just crashed: I can't cope with it any more.")

- "Heb je het te druk of kun je het nog wel bolwerken?" 
("Are you too busy or are you able to manage?")

Related words:
- Bolwerken: to cope with, to manage [verb] [bolwerlen, bolwerkte, h. gebolwerkt].
- Aankunnen: to be able to deal with [verb] [aankunnen, kon aan, h. aangekund].
- Zenuwachtig: nervous [adjective].

Voorzichtig

careful, cautious, discreet
[adverb/adjective]
[voor-zich-tig]

Examples:
- "Wees voorzichtig; je weet nooit wat er kan gebeuren!" - "Maak je niet ongerust, ik zal goed oppassen."
("Be careful; you never know what can happen!" - "Don't worry, I'lll watch out / be careful / pay attention.")

- "En denk erom: voorzichtig oversteken, want het is een heel drukke straat." 
("And don't forget: cross with care because it is a very busy street.")

- "Je moet niet te voorzichtig zijn want dan mist het overtuigingskracht." 
("You should not be overcautious because then it will lack force." Lit: "it will lack power of persuasion".)

- "Voorzichtig, in deze doos zitten breekbare spullen."
("Careful now, this box contains fragile items.")

- "Slecht nieuws kun je iemand het beste voorzichtig vertellen." 
("It's best to give somebody bad news in a discreet manner.")

- "Misschien kun je er voorzichtig naar informeren?" 
("Perhaps you can ask about it discreetly?")

Related words:
- Breekbaar: fragile [adjective]. Lit. "breakable".
- Voorzichtigheid: caution, prudence [noun] [de voorzichtigheid, <no plural>].
- Voorzichtigheidshalve: as a precaution [adverb].

Example:
- "Ik weet niet of het gaat regenen, maar voorzichtigheidshalve heb ik mijn regenkleding meegebracht."
("I'm not sure if it will rain, but as a precaution I've brought along my rain gear.")

Zagen

to saw
[verb]
[za-gen, zaag-de, h. ge-zaagd]

"Zagen" translates to "to saw". Related noun is "zaag": a saw. There are different kinds of "zagen" (saws), see the Related words. A small variation on "zagen" is "afzagen": to saw off.

Sometimes you may hear the idiom "over iets zagen": to harp on a subject. There's also "doorzagen", which has two meanings: 1. (literal) to saw through (e.g. a log), 2. (figurative) to keep on harping on a subject, or: - in case of "iemand doorzagen - to question a person thoroughly,

And last but not least: "zagen" is also used as a synonym for "snurken".

Examples:
- "Pas op voor je handen als je gaat zagen." 
("Be careful with your hands if you're going to saw.")

- "Ken je de film 'Saw' ? Verschrikkelijk...iemand moet zijn eigen been afzagen om te ontsnappen aan de moordenaar." 
("Do you know the movie 'Saw' ? Awful, somebody has to saw off his own leg to get away from the killer.")

Expressions:
- "De poten onder iemands stoel zagen": to undermine someone's position. Lit.: to saw the legs from under one's chair.

Related words:
- Hamer: hammer [noun] [de hamer, de hamers].
- Afgezaagd: dull, boring, dreadful, tedious, dreary, lit.: sawed off [adjective].

Example:
- "Die film heeft bij mij een gevoelige snaar geraakt..." - "Kom op, die film was ongelofelijk afgezaagd!"
("That movie has touched a nerve with me..." - "Come on, that movie was incredibly dull!")

- Kettingzaag: chainsaw [noun] [de kettingzaag, de kettingzagen].
- Cirkelzaag: circular saw [noun] [de cirkelzaag, de cirkelzagen].
- Figuurzaag: fretsaw [noun] [de figuurzaag, de figuurzagen].
- Houthakker: lumberjack, lit.: woodchopper [noun] [de houthakker, de houthakkers].
- Timmerman: carpenter [noun] [de timmerman,de timmermannen].

Extra:
From 1990 to 2005, the show "Jiskefet" was broadcast on the Dutch television. It was a show with various humoristic and absurdistic sketches. One of the recurring sketches was "Debiteuren Crediteuren", in which the boring life at the (Dutch) office was ridiculed. There's one sketch that introduces "Zaagmans, die de week doormidden komt zagen": Mr. Saw, who comes to saw the week in half...Check out the clip (@ 1m35s, in Dutch) at YouTube.

Snaar

string
[noun]
[de snaar, de sna-ren]

A "snaar" is a string. "Snaar" is commonly used in the context of a stringed instrument. The snares in a snare drum are also called "snaren" in Dutch.

Be careful, don't mix up "snaar" with the Dutch "string", which is a thong...

Examples:
- "Een viool heeft vier snaren, een gitaar heeft er zes." 
("A violin has four strings, a guitar has six." See also Extra)

- "Ken jij de Snaartheorie?" - "Zeker, ik heb natuurkunde gestudeerd." 
("Do you know the String theory?" - "Sure, I studied physics.")

- "Je gitaar is vals, misschien moet je er nieuwe snaren opzetten." 
("Your guitar is out of tune, maybe you should put new strings on it.")

Expressions:
- "Een gevoelige snaar raken": to touch (upon) a tender string, to strike a sensitive chord.

Example:
- "Heb je hem al gevraagd of hij wil trouwen?" - "Nee, dat raakt een gevoelige snaar..."
("Have you already asked him if he wants to get married?" - "No, that touches upon a tender string...")

Related words:
- Touw: rope [noun] [het touw, de touwen].
- Stemmen: to tune [verb] [stemmen, stemde, h. gestemd].

Example:
- "Gebruik jij voor het stemmen van je gitaar een stemapparaat of een ouderwetse stemvork?"
("Do you use a tuning device or an old-fashioned tuning fork for tuning your guitar?")

- Snaarinstrument: stringed instrument (lit.: string instrument, e.g. a harp) [noun] [het snaarinstrument, de snaarinstrumenten].
- Strijkinstrument: stringed instrument (lit.: stroke instrument, e.g. a cello) [noun] [het strijkinstrument, de strijkinstrumenten].
- De sectie strijkinstrumenten (in een orkest) / de strijkers: the string section in an orchestra / the strings.
- Spanning: tension [noun] [de spanning, de spanningen].
- Fijnbesnaard: tender, susceptible, sensitive, delicate, subtle [adjective].

Extra:
To memorize the standard tuning of a guitar, there's a simple mnemonic in Dutch: Een Aap Die Geen Bananen eet: E - A - D - G - B - e. Literally: a monkey that doesn't eat bananas :-)

Optreden

1. to perform, to act (as/against), to appear
[verb]
[op-tre-den, trad op, op-ge-tre-den]

"Optreden" is both a verb and a noun (see 2. below). You will use it in two main contexts: an artistic performance or to take action (against).

Examples:
- "De ME trad hard op tegen de protestanten." 
("The riot police acted forcefully against the protesters." The "ME" in Dutch is the "mobiele eenheid": riot police or "anti-riot squad", literally "mobile/agile unit". Note that a "protestant" in Dutch can also mean a "Protestant".)

- "Tegen dit soort gedrag moet direct worden opgetreden!" 
("We have to take measures against this kind of behaviour immediately!" Lit.: "Against this kind of behaviour measures must be taken immediately.")

- "Wat was ook alweer de eerste film waarin Tom Cruise optrad?" 
("What was that movie again in which Tom Cruise made his first appearance?" Lit.: "...the first movie in which Tom Cruise appeared?")

- "Als je je als artiest wil ontwikkelen, moet je regelmatig optreden." 
("If you want to develop yourself as an artist, you have to perform regularly.")

Related words:
- Handelen: to take action [verb] [handelde, gehandeld].
- Actie ondernemen: to take action [verb] [ondernam actie, actie ondernomen].

Example:
- "Na de zoveelste klacht ondernam de gemeente eindelijk actie."
("After the umpteenth complaint, the city council finally took action.")

2. action, way of acting, performance, show
[noun]
[het op-tre-den, de op-tre-dens]

Examples:
- "Het gewapend optreden tegen de protestanten was disproportioneel." 
("The armed action against the protesters was disproportional.")

- "Het optreden van de danseres werd door de recensenten omschreven als dodelijk saai." 
("The critics described the dancer's performance as dead boring." Note that "danseres" is a female dancer.)

- "Ik kan mij mijn eerste optreden nog erg goed herinneren." 
("I remember my first performance very clearly.")

Bloemkool

cauliflower
[noun]
[de bloem-kool, de bloem-ko-len]

"Bloemkool" is composed of "bloem" and "kool", which respectively translate to "flower" and "cabbage". In the Netherlands, "bloemkool" is considered a "wintergroente": a winter vegetable, i.e. a vegetable that is mostly eaten during the winterseason. Of course, it's perfectly legal to eat "bloemkool" in the spring, summer and autumn too :-)

"Bloemkool" is traditionally served with a "papje": a sauce (lit.: little porridge, see also Extra). It is usually a white sauce, also called "melksaus" (milk sauce), which is made from milk, butter, flour, pepper, salt and nutmeg...

Examples:
- "Hou jij ook van bloemkool?" - "Ja, heerlijk!" 
("Do you also like cauliflower" - "Yes, delicious!")

- "Vanavond eten we bloemkool!" - "Mij best." 
("We're having cauliflower tonight!" - "Fine with me.")

- "Echte hollandse kost! Bloemkool met een papje..." - "Smakelijk eten!" 
("A real Dutch meal! Cauliflower with sauce..." - "Bon appetit!")

- "De bloemkolen waren uitverkocht in de supermarkt." 
("The cauliflowers were sold out in the supermarket.")

Expressions:
- "Grote bloemkolen": <sexist> big boobs.

Related words:
- Kool: cabbage [noun] [de kool, de kolen].
- Groente: vegetable [noun] [de groente, de groentes].

Example:
- "Iedere dag twee ons groente en twee stuks fruit."
("Every day, two ounces of vegetables en two pieces of fruit." (health campaign slogan from the Dutch government))

- Broccoli: broccoli [noun] [de broccoli, <no plural>].
- Bloem: flower [noun] [de bloem, de bloemen].

Extra:
André van Duin is one of Holland's most famous comedians. He's been around for a long time, and in 1979 he had a small hit with the song "Bloemkolen". Check out the clip at YouTube!

In the eighties, there was a very popular children's show on Dutch television, called De Film van Ome Willem (the film of Uncle Willem), starring (former) Dutch TV celebrity and "BN'er", Edwin Rutte, also known as Ome Willem. Watch him sing the intro song of the show, and check out the lyrics from 1m17s: "bloemkool met een papje"...:-)

Pier

1. pier
[noun]
[de pier, de pie-ren]

Holland's most famous pier is in Scheveningen. Since non-Dutch speakers often break their tongue on its pronunciation, we've added an extra audio file here :-)

Examples:
- "Ben je wel eens op de pier in Scheveningen geweest?" 
("Have you ever been on the pier in Scheveningen?")

- "Ik heb vanavond een afspraakje met mijn aanbidder op de pier." 
("I have a date with my lover on the pier tonight.")

- "Het is koud hier op de pier, ik krijg kippenvel." 
("It's cold here on the pier, I'm getting goose bumps.")

Related words:
- Zee: sea [noun] [de zee, de zeeën].
- Strand: beach [noun] [het strand, de stranden].

Example:
- "Jongens, ik ga even uitbuiken op het strand."
("Guys, I'm gonna sit back and relax (after dinner) at the beach.")

- Dijk: dike [noun] [de dijk,de dijken].
- Golfbreker: breakwater (lit.: wavebreaker) [noun] [de golfbreker, de golfbrekers].

2. worm
[noun]
[de pier, de pie-ren]

"Pier" is synonymous to "worm", which both translate to worm. Sometimes you may also see "regenworm": earthworm or just worm.

Examples:
- "Mama, ik heb een pier gevangen!" - "Gooi hem maar in de emmer schat." 
("Mom, I've caught a worm!" - "Just put it in the bucket dear.")

- "Mijn vriendin vindt pieren eng." 
("My girlfriend thinks worms are scary.")

- "Als je niet inbindt, ben je zo meteen voer voor de pieren!" 
("If you don't back down, we'll feed you to the worms!" Lit.: "...you will be food for the worms shortly!")

Expressions:
- "Zo dood als een pier": as dead as a doornail.
- "De kwaaie pier": the person who has done it/done wrong.

Example:
- "Frank is altijd de kwaaie pier op het werk."
("Frank has always done it at work.")

Related words:
- Worm: worm [noun] [de worm, de wormen].
- Aas: bait [noun] [het aas, <no plural>].

Example:
- "Als aas gebruik ik twee pieren."
("As bait, I use two worms.")

- Regenworm: worm, earthworm (lit.: rainworm) [noun] [de regenworm, de regenwormen].

Dichterbij

closer, nearer
[adverb]
[dich-ter-bij]

"Dichterbij" is the comparative of "dichtbij" which means "close by". It is composed of "dichter" and "bij". One of the meaning of "bij" is "close" or "near" and when preceded by "dichter", it means "closer" or "nearer". Separately, "dichter" has a totally distinct meaning: "poet".

Examples:
- "Kom eens wat dichterbij, ik kan je niet verstaan." 
("Come a little bit closer, I can't hear you.")

- "Waarom ga je altijd naar de Aldi supermarkt voor je boodschappen; de Albert Heijn is veel dichterbij!" 
("Why do you always go to the Aldi supermarket for your groceries; the Albert Heijn is much closer!")

- "<Advertentie over Dierentuin Blijdorp:> Dichterbij kun je niet komen."
("<Ad on the Blijdorp Zoo:> You can't get any closer.")

- "Ben je al wat dichterbij het bereiken van je doel gekomen?" 
("Have you already come a bit closer to achieving your goal?")

- "Treinstation Amsterdam Sloterdijk is dichtbij mijn huis maar Centraal Station is nog dichterbij." 
("Train station Amsterdam Sloterdijk is close to my place but Central Station is even closer.")

- "Kom gerust dichterbij, de hond bijt niet." 
("Don't be scared to come closer, the dog doesn't bite.")

- "Vind je het fijn om zo dichtbij je werk te wonen? Ik woon liever wat verder weg." 
("Do you like living so close to your work? I prefer to live a little bit further away.")

- "Hoe ver is het naar de dichtstbijzijnde pinautomaat?" - "Oh, dat is heel dichtbij, hier net om de hoek is er één." 
("How far is it to the nearest ATM?" - "Oh, that's very close, there's one just around the corner from here.")

Related words:
- Dichtstbijzijnd: nearest [adjective/adverb].
- Ver: far [adjective/adverb].
- Verder: 1. further, the rest of 2. further, farther (comparative of "ver").
- Dichtbij: close by, near by [adverb].

Adem

breath
[noun]
[de a-dem, <no plural>]

There is apparently a distinction between 'a person's breath' and 'breath' as an example of 'wind' (as in a breath of fresh air). But let's assume that will be clear from context.

A lot of expressions with 'adem' exist and we cover (part of) them in the examples.

Examples:
- "Het is zo koud buiten dat je je eigen adem kan zien." 
("It's so cold outside that one can see his/her own breath.")

- "Met ingehouden adem keek de trainer naar de verrichtingen van zijn pupil." 
("The coach watched the performance of his pupil with bated breath.")

- "Hoe lang kan jij je adem inhouden?" 
("For how long can you hold your breath?")

- "Even wachten, ik moet even op adem komen; volgende keer neem ik de lift!" - "Je raakt wel erg snel buiten adem, je bent toch geen ouwe man!"
("Wait a second, I have to catch my breath; next time I'll take the elevator!" - "You get puffed really quickly, you are not an old man are you now?")

- "Ik heb het boek 'Oorlogswinter' in een adem uitgelezen en jij?" - "Ik ook, heb je trouwens de film al gezien?"
("I couldn't stop reading 'Oorlogswinter', what about you?" - "Me too, by the way, have you seen the film yet?" Literally: "read the book in one breath".)

- "Hij wordt altijd in een adem genoemd met de andere grote schrijvers van de 19e eeuw." 
("He is always bracketed together with the other great writers of the 19th century.")

- "We zullen wel eens zien wie hier de langste adem heeft!" 
("We shall see who will hold out longest, hah!" The "we zullen wel eens zien" typically implies the "hah"!)

- "Mijn manager houdt mij continu in de gaten; ben ik even iets anders aan het doen, voel ik weer zijn hete adem in mijn nek!" 
("My manager is constantly keeping an eye on me; just when I'm doing something else I feel him breathing down my neck again!")

- "Het spijt mij het te moeten mededelen, maar vanochtend heeft tante Bep haar laatste adem uitgeblazen..." 
("I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but this morning aunt Bep passed away..." Literally: "has blown out her last breath.")

Related words:
- Ademen: to breath [verb] [ademde, geademd].
- Ademhalen: to breathe [verb] [haalde adem, ademgehaald].

Example:
- "Hij haalde zo langzaam adem, dat ik dacht dat hij dood was!"
("He was breathing that slowly that I thought he was dead!")

- Adembenemend: breathtaking [adjective/adverb]. Note that there is also the expression "de adem benemen", but "adembenemend" is a bit more common.

Kippenvel

goose bumps/pimples, chill bumps
[noun]
[het kip-pen-vel, <no plural>]

"Kippenvel" is composed of "kip" and "vel", which respectively translate to "chicken" and "skin". "Kippenvel" refers to the skin of a freshly plucked chicken, but is mostly used as common idiom for a person's skin reaction to cold, fear or being overwhelmed: goose bumps...

Examples:
- "Het is fris buiten, ik heb kippenvel." 
("It's chilly outside, I've got goose bumps.")

- "Het zal wel aan mij liggen, maar ik krijg kippenvel van dit weer." 
("It's probably just me, but this weather gives me goose bumps.")

- "Het concert van U2 was geweldig! Kippenvel...gewoon kippenvel toen ze 'With or without you' speelden..." 
("U2's concert was great! Goosebumps...(I) just (got) goose bumps when they played 'With or without you'...")

Expressions:
- "Koude rillingen": cold chills.

Example:
- "Kun je de airco wat lager zetten, ik heb koude rillingen..."
("Can you turn down the air-conditioning a little bit, I've got cold chills...")

Related words:
- Kip: chicken [noun] [de kip, de kippen].
- Ei: egg [noun] [het ei, de eieren].

Example:
- "Wat was er eerst? De kip of het ei?"
("Which came first, the chicken or the egg?")

- Vel: skin [noun] [het vel, de vellen].
- Koud: cold [adjective].
- Fris: fresh, chilly [adjective].
- Rilling: chill [noun] [de rilling, de rillingen].
- Plukken: to pluck [verb] [plukken, plukte, h. geplukt].

Vlieger

kite
[noun]
[de vlie-ger, de vlie-gers]

"Vlieger" is related to "vliegen": to fly.The literal translation would be "flyer", but when Dutch people talk about a "vlieger", they usually mean a kite. Flying a kite can be translated with either "vliegeren", or "een vlieger oplaten" (lit.: to let up a kite). A kite line is called "(vlieger)touw", see the Examples. And yes, the book and movie The Kite Runner was also a hit in the Netherlands: "De vliegeraar".

Examples:
- "Mam, ik ga mijn vlieger oplaten!" - "Is goed, liefie."
("Mum, I'm gonna fly my kite!" - "Okay, sweetie.")

- "Op het strand is vandaag een vliegerwedstrijd, met een jury die beoordeelt welke vlieger het mooist is." 
("There's a kite competition on the beach today, with a jury that assesses which is the most beautiful kite.")

- "Ik heb hier een brief voor mijn moeder, die hoog in de hemel is. Deze brief bind ik vast aan mijn vlieger, dat zij hem ontvangt, zij die ik mis."
("I have a letter here for my mother, who is high in the heavens. I'll tie this letter to my kite, for her to receive, her, whom I miss." See Extra)

Expressions:
- "Die vlieger gaat niet op": that's a no-go, that's (simply) not on, that won't wash.

Example:
- "Lisa, ga jij in dat naveltruitje naar school?? Die vlieger gaat niet op jongedame!" - "Maar pap..."
("Lisa, are you going to school in that crop top? That's a no-go, young lady!" - "But dad...")

Related words:
- Touw: rope, line [noun] [het touw, de touwen].
- Vlieg: fly [noun] [de vlieg, de vliegen].

Example:
- "Ober, er zit een vlieg in mijn soep..."
("Waiter, there's a fly in my soup.")

- Vliegen: to fly [verb] [vliegen, vloog, h. gevlogen].

Extra:
The third example is taken from the well-known Dutch song "De vlieger", performed by the late artist André Hazes.

Check out this clip on YouTube, which was a well-know info-commercial that was shown on Dutch TV for more than 20 years since 1982...it's about traffic safety...and it has a sad ending...

Beoordelen

to assess, to judge 
[verb]
[be-oor-de-len, be-oor-deel-de, be-oor-deeld]

"Beoordelen" is close to "oordelen". Where "oordelen" is "to pass judgement" or "to make up one's mind", "beoordelen" implies assessment (based on criteria or circumstances) and usually comes down to indicating approval or disapproval.

Examples:
- "Bij deze auditie wordt u beoordeeld op uw technische vaardigheden." 
("At this audition you will be judged based on your technical abilities.")

- "Moet je vanochtend college geven?" - "Nee, maar ik moet wel tentamens beoordelen." 
("Are you lecturing this morning?" - "No, but I will have to grade tests." Emphasis should be on "will" to reflect the use of "wel". Literally: "Do you have to give lectures..." Note that "college geven" is used only for university lectures. "Tentamen" is the common word for a higher education test.)

- "Hoe is de situatie daar?" - "Het is moeilijk te beoordelen; er is nog veel onduidelijk en iedereen rent rond als een kip zonder kop!" 
("How is the situation (there / with you)?" - "It is difficult to assess; a lot is still unclear and everybody is running around aimlessly / without clear direction." Literally: "like a headless chicken".)

- "De manager behoort de werknemers louter en alleen op hun prestaties te beoordelen." 
("The manager is supposed to assess the employees purely on their achievements.")

- "Oké, ik geef het toe, ik heb hem misschien verkeerd beoordeeld." 
("Alright, I admit, I might have misjudged him.")

- "Mam, ik ben oud genoeg om dat zelf te beoordelen ja!" 
("Mom, I am old enough to judge for myself(, thank you very much)!")

Related words:
- Evaluatie: evaluation [noun] [de evaluatie, de evaluaties].
- Beoordelingsgesprek: appraisal, assessment interview [noun] [het gesprek, de gesprekken].

Example:

- "Heb jij je beoordelingsgesprek al gehad?"
("Have you had your appraisal yet?")

- Inschatting: assessment [noun] [de inschatting, de inschattingen].
- Vooroordeel: prejudice [noun] [het vooroordeel, de vooroordelen].
- Jureren: to act as judge (in a competition) [verb] [jureerde, gejureerd].

Bankroet

1. bankrupt
[adjective]
[bank-roet]

"Bankroet" sounds a bit like "bankrupt", don't you think? You may also often see its synonym "failliet".

Examples:
- "Door de scheiding is Frank helemaal bankroet gegaan." 
("Because of the divorce, Frank went totally bankrupt.")

- "Nu DSB bankroet gegaan is, voelen veel mensen zich in de steek gelaten." 
("Now DSB went bankrupt, a lot of people feel like they've been let down.")

Expressions:
- "Met lege handen": empty-handed.

Related words:
- Failliet: bankrupt [adjective].
- Blut: broke [adjective].

Example:
- "Ik ben blut..." - "Maak dat de kat wijs, je hebt nog je spaarrekening met duizend euro!"
("I'm broke..." - "I don't believe a thing of it, you still have your savings account with one thousand euros!")

- Platzak: broke [adjective]. Lit.: flat pocket.
- Bank: bank, bench, couch, sofa [noun] [de bank, de banken].
- Roet: soot [noun] [het roet, <no plural>].

2. bankruptcy
[noun]
[het bank-roet, de bank-roe-ten]

"Bankroet" is also the noun: bankruptcy. The related noun of "failliet" changes though: "faillissement".

Examples:
- "Het morele bankroet van onze samenleving is aanstaande..." 
("The moral bankruptcy of our society is imminent...")

- "Ooit was hij een feestbeest, nu is hij alleen maar bezig met zijn bankroet te voorkomen." 
("He used to be a party animal once, now he's only trying to prevent his bankruptcy." Lit.: "...he's busy with trying to...")

Related words:
- Faillissement: bankruptcy [noun] [het faillissement, de faillissementen].

Garnaal

shrimp, prawn
[noun]
[de gar-naal, de gar-na-len]

Today a word in the category Animals (or is it the category Food ? :-) ). I'm not sure whether there's a difference between a shrimp and a prawn - biologists, feel free to comment - but they both translate to "garnaal" in Dutch. You may often see "gamba" being used as a synonym for "garnaal", and you may also see specific types of shrimp in the "supermarkt": "Hollandse/noordzee garnalen" (Dutch/Northsea shrimps, small and grey), "noorse garnalen" (Norwegian shrimps, small and pink), "tijgergarnalen" (tiger shrimps, medium and striped pink), "jumbogarnalen" (jumbo shrimps), and probably many more...

Examples:
- "Is dit een recept met Hollandse of Noorse garnalen?" 
("Is this a recipe with Dutch or Norwegian shrimps?")

- "Er gaat niks boven een lekkere garnalencocktail!" - "Nou, doe mij maar een portie lekkerbekjes!"
("There's nothing like a nice shrimp cocktail!" - "Well, I'll just have a portion of fried cod fish!)

- "Weet jij het verschil tussen een garnaal, een gamba, en een scampi?" - "Joost mag het weten...schaaldieren zijn niet mijn specialiteit..."
("Do you know the difference between a prawn, a gamba, and a scampi?" - "Heaven only knows...crustaceans are not my speciality...")

Expressions:
- "Zo stoned als een garnaal": stoned to the bone, very stoned. Lit.: as stoned as a shrimp.

Example:
- "Het loopt de spuigaten uit: Frank is iedere avond zo stoned als een garnaal..." - "Dat komt omdat hij iedere avond met z'n blotebillengezicht bij vrouwen een blauwtje loopt..."
("It's getting out of hand: Frank is stoned to the bone every night..." - "That's because he's turned down every night by women because of his pudding face...")

Related words:
- Kreeft: lobster [noun] [de kreeft, de kreeften].
- Krab: crab [noun] [de krab, de krabben].
- Schaaldier: crustacean [noun] [het schaaldier, de schaaldieren].

Extra:
Check out this episode (in Dutch) of "Keuringsdienst van waarde", a Dutch television programme in which food and food chains are examined, and this time the gamba is subject of investigation...

Deur

door
[noun]
[de deur, de deur-en]

A "deur" is a "door", plain and simple! There are quite some expressions with door, though. You can use them a lot in daily conversation. When you open a door, you use the verb "openen" or "opendoen", when you close or shut a door, you use the verb "sluiten" or "dichtdoen".

Examples:
- "Gozer! Kom binnen en doe de deur dicht!" 
("Dude! Come on in and close the door!")

- "Mam, er staat een vreemde man aan de deur..." 
("Mum, there's a strange man at the door...")

- "Kan iemand mij uitleggen waarom deze sleutel niet op deze deur past?" 
("Can somebody explain to my why this key doesn't fit this door?")

Expressions:
- "Dat doet de deur dicht": that does it, that's the last straw.
- "Met de deur in huis vallen": to get down to business at once, to come straight to the point.

Example:
- "Om met de deur in huis te vallen: dat naveltruitje kan echt niet."
("To come straight to the point: that crop top is a no go.")

- "Zo gek als een deur": as crazy as a loon, very crazy.
- "De deur uitgaan": to leave the house.
- "Iemand de deur wijzen": to show a person the door.
- "Een open deur (intrappen)": (to hammer on) an open door. (Lit.: to kick in...)

Example:
- "Het leven wordt steeds duurder..." - "Beetje een open deur, niet?"
("Life is getting more and more expensive..." - "Bit of an open door, isn't it?")

- "Buiten de deur": out of the house/office.
- "Achter gesloten deuren": Behind closed doors.
- "Voor een gesloten deur staan": to find the door locked.
- "De deur uit!": out with you!
- "Aan de deur wordt niet gekocht": no hawkers.
- "Voor de deur staan": to be imminent.

Example:
- "De grootste crisis die we ooit zullen kennen staat voor de deur" - "De geschiedenis zal het leren..."
("The biggest crisis we'll ever know is imminent." - "History will tell...")

Related words:
- Deurbel: doorbell [noun] [de deurbel, de deurbellen].
- Klink: door handle [noun] [de klink, de klinken].
- Huis: house [noun] [het huis, de huizen].
- Raam: window [noun] [het raam, de ramen].
- Dak: roof [noun] [het dak, de daken].
- Sleutel: key [noun] [de sleutel, de sleutels].
- Slot: lock [noun] [het slot, de sloten].
- Deurbeleid: door policy [noun] [het deurbeleid, <no plural>].

Navel

navel, belly button
[noun]
[de na-vel, de na-vels]

Although it's not quite the season for crop tops, today's word is "navel" ("belly button"). As in English, Dutch "navel" can also be used when referring to the navel of oranges, and in some cases when referring to the center of the world (see 'Extra').

Examples:
- "De navel is het litteken dat overblijft na het verwijderen van de navelstreng." 
("The belly button is the mark that remains after removal of the navel string.")

- "Toen de metaaldetector afging, vroeg de beveiligingsbeambte of ik misschien een navelpiercing had." 
("When the metal detector went off, the security guard asked me if I happened to have a navelpiercing.")

- "Mensen met overgewicht kunnen soms hun eigen navel niet meer zien." 
("Overweight people can sometimes no longer see their own belly button.")

Related words:
- Navelsinaasappel: navel orange [noun] [de navelsinaasappel, de navelsinaasappels].
- Navelstaren: to be (consumed by being) focused on oneself [verb] [navelstaarde, heb navelgestaard].

Example:
- "Denk toch ook eens aan anderen in plaats van dat eeuwige navelstaren!"
("Think about someone else for a change instead of always thinking of yourself!")

- Naveltruitje: crop top [noun] [het naveltruitje, de naveltruitjes].
- Navelstreng: umbilical cord, navel string [noun] [de navelstreng, de navelstrengen].

Extra:
In some occasions, "navel" is used to indicate the center of the world. A religious stone in the heart of the sanctuary to Apollo in Delphi was named "navel" ("omphalos" in Greek) as the Greek thought this place was the centre of the world. Click here if you want to read more about it.

Mist

fog, mist
[noun]
[de mist, de mist-en]

The autumn is a misty season...you may want to use the "mistlampen" (fog lights) of your car more often now. Check out the Dutch rules on the use of fog lights in Extra.

Examples:
- "Files door mist en ongelukken." 
("Fog and accidents cause traffic jams." Lit.: "Traffic jams due to fog and accidents.")

- "Pas op voor mist onderweg naar Maastricht..." 
("Beware of fog on the way to Maastricht...")

- "De mist is zo dik, ik kan mijn tenen niet meer zien!" - "Dat slaat helemaal nergens op..."
("The fog is so thick, I can't see my toes any more!" - "That makes no sense at all...")

Expressions:
- "De mist ingaan": to come to nothing, to fail, to flop.

Example:
- "Franks presentatie ging ongelofelijk de mist in, ik heb nog nooit iemand zo zien falen, echt kansloos!"
("Frank's presentation was an incredible flop, I've never seen anybody fail like that, really hopeless!")

Related words:
- Misten: to be foggy/misty [verb] [misten, mistte, h. gemist].
- Mistig: foggy, misty [adjective].
- Mistbank: fog bank, patch of fog [noun] [de mistbank, de mistbanken].
- Mistlamp: fog light [noun] [de mistlamp, de mistlampen].
- Wolk: cloud [noun] [de wolk, de wolken].
- Smog: smog [noun] [de smog, <no plural>].
- Nevel: haze, spray, mist, nebula [noun] [de nevel, de nevels/nevelen].

Extra:
In the Netherlands, the following rules apply for the use of fog lights: the fog lights at the front of a vehicle can be used during fog, snowfall and rain when visibility is less than 200 meters. The fog light at the rear of a vehicle can only be used when visibility is less than 50 meters due to very thick fog or heavy snowfall. (On the Dutch highways, the latter implies that the next "hectometerpaaltje" (see Mijlpaal) becomes visible after you've passed the previous "hectometerpaaltje"...this weather condition is quite rare...)

Onderweg

on the way, en route, in transit, on the road  
[adverb]
[on-der-weg]

Every morning a lot of people are "onderweg" to work. The Dutch "wegen" are packed with "files" (traffic jams).

"Onderweg" literally translates to "underway": in progress.

Examples:
- "Okee baas, ik ben onderweg." 
("Okay boss, I'm on my way.")

- "Deze regering is een aanfluiting, we zijn in dit land onderweg naar totale chaos..." 
("This government is a farce, we're on our way to total chaos in this country...")

- "Er is altijd wel iemand onderweg naar iemand anders." 
("There's always somebody on his way to somebody else.")

- "We zijn te laat, het veer is al onderweg naar Texel." 
("We're too late, the ferry is already on its way to Texel.")

Related words:
- Weg: way, road [noun] [de weg, de wegen].

Extra:
Check out this clip: a song by the Dutch artist Abel. The song is called Onderweg. You may notice that Abel's pronunciation is characterized by a 'soft' g, as most people have in the province of Noord-Brabant and Limburg :-)

For the soapies: there are Dutch (competitive) soap operas on Dutch television: "Onderweg Naar Morgen - ONM" (broadcast on the public channel), and "Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden - GTST" (broadcast on a commercial channel). Literal translations are respectively "On the way to tomorrow" and "Good times bad times"...

Aanfluiting

mockery, farce, travesty
[noun]
[de aan-flui-ting, de aan-flui-tin-gen]

"Aanfluiting" is often used in the context of (professional) performance, quality, reputation or pride. The word might be related to "fluiten" ("to whistle") which can be used in the form "uitfluiten" (and although a different sound, translated as "to hiss (at) / catcall").

Examples:
- "De prestatie van de atleet was een aanfluiting en hij is terecht door het publiek uitgefloten." 
("The athlete's performance was farcical and he deserved to be hissed at by the audience." Lit.: "...he was justly hissed at...")

- "Het rapport van de commissie is een regelrechte aanfluiting. Hebben zij hier 3 jaar aan gewerkt?!" 
("The committee's report is an absolute mockery. Did they work on this for three years?!")

- "Deze spits maakt zijn team tot een aanfluiting; hij bakt er werkelijk niets van!" 
("This forward makes a mockery of his team; he makes a complete mess of it!" See also Expressions)

- "De rechtspraak in dat land is een aanfluiting; je wordt zonder vorm van proces vastgezet!" 
("The jurisdiction in that country is a complete farce; one is imprisoned without trial!")

Expressions:
- "Er niets van bakken": to make a complete mess of it, to be really bad at something. Lit. "to bake nothing of it".

Related words:
- Uitfluiten: to hiss at, to catcall [verb] [floot uit, uitgefloten].
- Farce: farce [noun] [de farce, de farces].
- Fluiten: to whistle [verb] [floot, gefloten].
- Fluitje: glass of beer, lit.: little whistle [noun] [het fluitje, de fluitjes].

Scheiding

separation, divorce, parting 
[noun]
[de schei-ding, de schei-din-gen]

In general, "scheiding" translates to "separation". In a specific context, the translation may be different. For example: in the context of a marriage, "scheiding" translates to "divorce". In the context of a haircut, "scheiding" translates to "parting".

"Scheiding" is often followed by the preposition "tussen" - "scheiding tussen" - which usually translates to "separation of".

Examples:
- "Ik ben voor een duidelijke scheiding tussen kerk en staat." 
("I'm in favour of a clear separation of church and state.")

- "De scheiding van Vanessa is groot nieuws in showbizland." 
("The divorce of Vanessa is big news in the world of showbiz.")

- "In Franks haar zit een vreemde scheiding...hij kan zijn hoofd beter kaal scheren..." 
("Frank's hair has a funny parting...he'd better shave his head (bold)...")

Expressions:
- "Het kaf van het koren scheiden": to separate the wheat from the chaff, to separate the good from the bad.

Related words:
- Scheiden: to separate, to divorce [verb] [scheiden, scheidde, gescheiden].
- Echtscheiding: divorce [noun] [de echtscheiding, de echtscheidingen]. Mark that "echt" translates to "matrimony" in this context, so the literal translation would be: matrimony separation. You may sometimes see the pun "vechtscheiding", lit.: fighting divorce, meaning an ugly divorce.

Example:
- "Een echtscheiding in de wereld van BN'ers is  vaak een vechtscheiding..."
("A divorce in the world of famous Dutch people is often ugly...")

- Ex: ex [noun] [de ex, de exen].
- Huwelijk: marriage [noun] [het huwelijk, de huwelijken].
- Hereniging: reunion [noun] [de hereniging, de herenigingen].

Prullenbak

waste-paper basket, (office) bin
[noun]
[de prul-len-bak, de prul-len-bak-ken]

A "prullenbak" is a waste-paper basket. A "prullenbak" is not to be confused with its bigger brother: a "vuilnisbak" (waste container). A "prullenbak" is for "prullen" (small pieces of trash, scraps, paper, etc.). A "vuilnisbak" is meant for "vuilnis": general garbage, usually bigger/dirtier than just "prullen"...

You may often see the synonymous "prullenmand". "Mand" literally translate to basket, where "bak" literally translate to "container/cask".

Examples:
- "Kun je het snoeppapiertje in de prullenbak gooien, alsjeblieft?" 
("Can you throw the candy wrapper in the waste-paper basket, please?")

- "Onder mijn bureau staat een mooie roestvrijstalen prullenbak." 
("Under my desk, I have a nice stainless steel office bin." Lit.: Under my desk stands a...")

- "Wie heeft er batterijen in de prullenbak gegooid?! Jij, Marc? - "Ben je betoeterd?! Batterijen breng ik altijd naar de blauwe recycle bak in de supermarkt!" 
("Who has thrown batteries in the waste-paper basket?! You, Marc? - "Have you gone out of your mind?! I always take empty batteries to the blue recycle container in the supermarket!")

Related words:
- Prul: scrap, rag, piece of trash [noun] [de prul, de prullen].
- Mand: basket [noun] [de mand, de manden].

Example:
- "Liefie, waar staat onze picknickmand? Het is zulk mooi weer..."
("Sweetie, where's our picnic basket? It's such beautiful weather...")

- Bak: container, cask [noun] [de bak,de bakken].
- Papierversnipperaar: (paper) shredder [noun] [de papierversnipperaar, de papierversnipperaars].
- Vuilnis: garbage [noun] [het/de vuilnis, <no plural>].
- Troep: mess, rubbish, junk [noun] [de troep, <no plural>].

Lariekoek

nonsense, bollocks
[noun]
[de la-rie-koek, <no plural>]

"Lariekoek" is synonymous to "onzin", although it is slightly more informal and a bit slang. Even more informal and a bit vulgar is the synonymous "gelul", which translates to "bullsh*t.

Sometimes you may see the short version: "larie": bull.

Examples:
- "Ik snap niet waarom ik weer 5 kilo meer weeg..." - "Lariekoek! Van lucht word je niet dik!"
("I don't understand why I've gained another 10 pounds..." - "Bollocks! Air doesn't make you fat!")

- "Gisteren weer een debat in de Tweede Kamer over integratie...ik heb nog nooit zo veel larie gehoord." 
("Another debate in the House of Representatives about integration...I've never heard so much bull.")

- "Van boos kijken krijg je rimpels." - "Lariekoek."
("Putting on an angry face causes wrinkles." - "Nonsense." Lit.: "From looking angry, you'll get wrinkles.")

Expressions:
- "Gelul in de ruimte": Loose talk, nonsense.

Related words:
- Koek: cake [noun] [de koek, de koeken].
- Onzin: nonsense [noun] [de onzin, <no plural>].
- Flauwekul: nonsens [noun] [de faluwekul, <no plural>].
- Gelul: bullsh*t [noun] [het gelul, <no plural>].
- Geouwehoer: rubbish, (load of) crap, bullsh*t [noun] [het geouwehoer, <no plural>].

Example:
- "De kredietcrisis is de schuld van een wereldwijd financieel-militair complex." - "Geouwehoer!"
("The financial crisis is to be blamed on a global financial-military complex." - "Bullsh*t!")

- Kletskoek: waffle, twaddle, rubbish (talk), crap [noun] [de kletskoek, <no plural>].
- Kletspraat: waffle, twaddle, rubbish (talk), crap [noun] [de kletspraat, <no plural>].
- Kletsen: to chat [verb] [kletsen, kletste, gekletst].

Extra:
Apparently, "lariekoek" is also some kind of cake :-). You can find the recipe (in Dutch) here.

Veer

1. feather
[noun]
[de veer, de ve-ren]

Don't you just love those Dutch homonyms? ;-) Here's one with (at least) three different meanings: 1. feather, 2. spring and 3. ferry...

Examples:
- "Het kussen is gevuld met ganzenveren." 
("The pillow is filled with goose feathers.")

- "Een pauw heeft prachtige veren." 
("A peacock has beautiful feathers.")

- "De kleur van de veren van een mannetjesvogel verschillen vaak van de vrouwtjesvogel."
("The colour of a male bird's feathers often differ from the female bird.")

Expressions:
- "Met andermans veren pronken": to adorn oneself with (strut in) borrowed plumes.
- "Iemand een veer in zijn kont steken": to compliment someone with the intention to please.
- "Mijn gevederde vriend": my (fine) feathered friend.

Related words:
- Pluim: plume, feather [noun] [de pluim, de pluimen].

2. spring
[noun]
[de veer, de ve-ren]

Examples:
- "Wat een slechte matras, ik kan de veren voelen..." 
("What a bad mattress, I can feel the springs...")

- "Toen Frank zelf zijn horloge probeerde te reparen, is hij een veertje kwijtgeraakt." 
("When Frank tried to fix his watch himself, he lost a little spring.")

Related words:
- Veerkrachtig: elastic, resilient [adjective].
- Veren: to be elastic, to spring [verb] [veren, veerde, heeft geveerd].

3. ferry
[noun]
[het veer, de ve-ren]

Mark that in this context "veer" has the neuter gender... "Het veer" can refer to the ferry location, the ferry boat or the ferry service.

Examples:
- "Het veer naar Ameland is buiten dienst." 
("The ferry to Ameland is out of service.")

- "Weet jij hoe laat het veer van Hoek van Holland naar Harwich vertrekt?" 
("Do you know when the ferry boat leaves from Hoek van Holland to Harwich?")

Related words:
- Veerboot: ferry boat [noun] [de veerboot, de veerboten].
- Veerdienst: ferry service [noun] [de veerdienst, de veerdiensten].
- Boot: boat [noun] [de boot, de boten].
- Dienst: service [noun] [de dienst, de diensten].
- Pont: ferry [noun] [de pont, de ponten].
- Pontje: little ferry (usually across a river) [noun] [het pontje, de pontjes].
- Veerman: ferryman [noun] [de veerman, de veermannen].

Teen

toe
[noun]
[de teen, de te-nen]

A "teen" is a simple toe. There are two toes that are distinctly defined: "de kleine teen" (little toe) and "de grote teen" (big toe). In Dutch, there are no separate names for the toes in the middle (...well...maybe in medical science...)

Examples:
- "Een voet heeft vijf tenen." 
("A foot has five toes.")

- "De ontvoerders hebben de kleine teen van het slachtoffer afgeknipt! Verschrikkelijk!" 
("The kidnappers have cut off the victim's little toe ! Awful!")

- "Na het douchen moet je goed je tenen afdrogen, anders krijg je zwemmerseczeem." 
("After showering, you need to thoroughly wipe dry your toes, or you'll get an athlete's foot.")

Expressions:
- "Op zijn/haar tenen lopen": to tiptoe.
- "Snel op zijn/haar tenen getrapt zijn": to be quite touchy, to be quickly offended.

Example:
- "Frank is snel op zijn tenen getrapt...voorals als je iets zegt over de oude spijkerbroek die hij altijd draagt..."
("Frank is quite touchy...especially when you say something about the old pair of jeans he always wears...")

- "Iemand op zijn/haar tenen trappen": to step on a person's toes.

Related words:
- Een teentje knoflook: a clove of garlick [noun] [het teentje, de teentjes].
- Teennagel: toe nail [noun] [de teennagel, de teennagels].
- Blaar: blister [noun] [de blaar, de blaren].
- Voet: foot [noun] [de voet, de voeten].

Example:
- "Met je blote voeten in het zand...dat is pas ontspannen!"
("With your bare feet in the sand...now that's relaxing!")

- Been: leg [noun] [het been, de benen].
- Hoofd: head [noun] [het hoofd, de hoofden].
- Knie: knee [noun] [de knie, de knieën].

Example:
- "Hoofd, schouders, knie en teen, knie en teen."
("Head, shoulders, knee and toe, knee and toe". Dutch children song where all kids touch the respective body parts while singing.)

Douche

shower
[noun]
[de douche, de douches]

Originating from French, Dutch for "a shower" is "een douche". The related verb is "douchen" ("to (take a) shower"). The conjugation of this weak verb is regular but since it doesn't originate from Dutch, it looks a little bit strange (see below). Note the pronunciation of "douche"; the 'e' at the end is not pronounced.

Examples:
- "Heb je vanochtend gedoucht of een bad genomen?" 
("Did you take a shower or a bath this morning?")

- "Als ik 's ochtends geen douche neem, lukt het me niet om wakker te worden." 
("If I don't take a shower in the morning, I don't manage to wake up.")

- "De douche is een fantastische uitvinding." 
("The shower is a great invention.")

- "Heb je het douchegordijn niet dichtgedaan? De hele badkamer is nat!" 
("Didn't you close the shower curtain? The entire bathroom is wet!")

- "De douchekop is verstelbaar om een harde of een zachte straal te krijgen." 
("The shower head is adjustable to get a hard of a soft spray.")

Expressions:
- "Een koude douche": a sudden disappointment, a rude awakening (Lit.: a cold shower).
- "Een warm bad": a warm welcome (Lit.: a warm bath).

Example:
- "<Krantenkop:> "Warm bad voor voetballers op Schiphol."
("<News headline>: "Warm welcome for soccer players at Schiphol airport.")

Related words:
- Douchen: to shower [verb] [douchte, heb gedoucht].
- Een douche nemen: to take a shower [verb] [nam, heb genomen].
- Douchegel: showergel [noun] [de douchegel, de douchegels].
- Douchegordijn: shower curtain [noun] [het douchegordijn, de douchegordijnen].
- Douchecabine: shower cubicle [noun] [de douchecabine, de douchecabines].
- Douchekop: shower head [noun] [de douchekop, de douchekoppen].
- Bad: 1. bath 2. pool [noun] [het bad, de baden].
- Badkamer: bathroom [noun] [de badkamer, de badkamers].
- Zwembad: swimmingpool [noun] [het zwembad, de zwembaden].

Luier

1. nappy, napkin, diaper
[noun]
[de lui-er, de lui-ers]

Every young parent's favourite hobby: changing diapers :-) Dutch babies also poop and pee in their diaper, now you can use the Dutch diaper vocabulary on them...

Examples:
- "Schat, kun jij de luier van kleine Tim verwisselen?" 
("Honey, can you change little Tim's nappy?")

- "Gebruiken jullie wegwerpluiers of herbruikbare?" 
("Do you use throwaway diapers or re-usable ones?")

- "Baby's billetjes blijven langer droog met deze nieuwe luierformule! Voorkomt uitslag!" 
("Baby's little buttocks stay dry longer with this new nappy formula! Prevents rashes!")

- "Het verschonen van een luier kost mij maximaal 17 seconden...een kind kan de was doen!" 
("Changing a diaper takes me 17 seconds tops...it's really easy!")

Related words:
- Baby: [noun] [de baby, de baby's].
- Romper: romper suit [noun] [de romper, de rompers].

Example:
- "De luier heeft doorgelekt, nu is de romper ook vies..."
("The diaper has leaked (through), now the romper suit is also soiled...")

- Bil: buttock [noun] [de bil, de billen].

2. lazier
[adjective]

Used as an adjective, "luier" is the comparative degree of "lui": lazier.

Examples:
- "Frank is nog luier dan ik dacht: hij is vandaag weer niet op kantoor..." 
("Frank is even lazier than I thought: again, he's not in the office today...")

- "En Lisa is nog luier dan Frank! Ze gooit er echt met de pet naar!!"
("And Lisa is even lazier than Frank! She is really not making any effort!!")

- "Het mooie weer maakt me nog luier dan normaal." 
("The beautiful weather makes me even lazier than normal.")

Related words:
- Lui: lazy [adjective].

Snurken

to snore
[verb]
[snur-ken, snurk-te, ge-snurkt]

Hopefully, you don't have to use this word very often when complaining to partners, neighbours or whoever, but in case you do: "snurken" means "to snore". It's a weak regular verb, but pronouncing its past tense and past perfect might not be so easy. The related noun is "het gesnurk".

Examples:
- "De muren van dit hotel zijn zo dun dat ik de buurman kan horen snurken." 
("The walls of this hotel are so thin I can hear the neighbour snoring.")

- "Hé, stop eens met dat gesnurk of je kan op de bank slapen!" 
("Hey, stop snoring or you can sleep on the couch!")

- "Normaal snurkt hij niet maar als hij gedronken heeft is het lawaai niet te harden." 
("Usually he doesn't snore but when he's been drinking the noise is unbearable.")

- "Ik heb geen oog dichtgedaan tijdens die nachtvlucht; het vliegtuig zat vol met snurkende passagiers." 
("I didn't sleep at all during that night flight; the plane was stuffed with snoring passengers." Lit.: "I didn't close an eye during...".)

Expressions:
- "Bomen omzagen": 1. literally: to saw off trees; 2. figurative: to snore.

Example:
- "Ik heb haar afgelopen nacht drie keer wakker gemaakt omdat ze bomen aan het omzagen was."
("I woke her up three times last night because she was snoring.")

Related words:
- Slapen: to sleep [verb] [sliep, heb geslapen].
- Het gesnurk: the snoring [noun] [het gesnurk, <no plural>].
- Zagen: to saw [verb] [zaagde, heb gezaagd].

Vogel

bird
[noun]
[de vo-gel, de vo-gels]

Dutch wildlife is not too impressive. Here's a list of our most common birds:
- Merel: blackbird [noun] [de merel, merels].
- Mus: sparrow [noun] [de mus, de mussen].
- Duif: pigeon [noun] [de duif, de duiven].
- Meeuw: seagull [noun] [de meeuw, de meeuwen].
- Ekster: magpie [noun] [de ekster, de eksters].
- Spreeuw: starling [noun] [de spreeuw, de spreeuwen].
- Eend: duck [noun] [de eend, de eenden].
- Kip: chicken [noun] [de kip, de kippen].

For the bird watchers among us: check out a more complete list at Wikipedia.

Examples:
- "Er vloog een vogel hoog in de lucht." 
("A bird flew high in the sky." Lit.: "There flew a bird...")

- "De struisvogel is geen inheemse vogel." 
("The ostrich is not a domestic bird.")

- "Ik vind de meeuwen op het strand zulke agressieve vogels." 
("I think the seagulls at the beach are such aggressive birds.")

Expressions:
- "Een vroege vogel": an early bird.
- "De vogel is gevlogen": the bird has flown, he/she's gone/disappeared/escaped.
- "Een vreemde vogel": a strange fellow.

Example:
- "Ik vind Frank een vreemde vogel...hij heeft zo'n bleek blotebillengezicht..."
("I think Frank's a strange fellow...he has such a pale pudding face...")

- "[...] in vogelvlucht": a bird's-eye view of [...].

Example:
- "Amsterdam in vogelvlucht."
("A bird's-eye view of Amsterdam.")

- "Beter één vogel in de hand, dan tien in de lucht": a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Related words:
- Vogelvrij: outlawed [adjective].
- Vogelpoep: bird poop [noun] [de vogelpoep, <no plural>].

Example:
- "He...er zit vogelpoep op mijn auto...bah"
("Hey..there's bird poop on my car...yuck")

- Vliegen: to fly [verb] [vliegen, vloog, gevlogen].
- Vleugel: wing [noun] [de vleugel, de vleugels].
- Snavel: beak [noun] [de snavel, de snavels].
- Nest: nest [noun] [het nest, de nesten].

Extra:
One of the oldest written Dutch texts is known as "Hebban olla vogala", which are the first three words of the sentence "Hebban olla vogala nestas hagunnan hinase hi(c) (a)nda thu uuat unbidan uue nu", which translates to "Hebben alle vogels nesten begonnen, behalve ik en jij. Waarop wachten we nu?" In English: "Have all birds started nests, except you and me. What are we waiting for now?"...

Lui

1. lazy, idle
[adjective]

"Lui" commonly translates to "lazy". The Dutch Gurus are a bit "lui" during the DWOTD Summer Schedule... :-)

Examples:
- "Frank is echt lui: hij haalt nooit koffie voor andere collega's..." 
("Frank is really lazy: he never gets coffee for other colleagues...")

- "Er gaat niks boven een luie zondagmiddag!" 
("There's nothing like a lazy Sunday afternoon!" Lit.: "There goes nothing above...")

- "Ik ben zo lui vandaag, niet te filmen!" 
("I'm (feeling) so lazy today, unbelievable!")

Expressions:
- "Een lui leventje": easy living.
- "Een luie stoel": an easy chair.
- "Hij is liever lui dan moe": he was born tired.

Related words:
- Luiaard: 1. lazy-bones, lazy person [noun] [de luiaard, de luiaards]. 2. sloth [noun] [de luiaard, de luiaards].
- Luieren: to be lazy, to (be) idle [verb] [luierde, geluierd].

Example:
- "Wat ben je aan het doen?" - "Helemaal niks, ik ben lekker aan het luieren..."
("What are you doing?" - "Absolutely nothing, I'm just being lazy...")

- Loungen: to lounge [verb] [loungede, gelounged].

2. people, folk
[noun]
[<no singular>, de lui]

"Lui" has no specific singular form. Of course you can use the singular "mens" (human, person) or "persoon" (person).

Synonymous to "lui" is the more informal diminutive "luitjes" and the more formal "lieden".

Examples:
- "Zeg, lui! Even opletten alsjeblieft!" 
("Say, folks! Just pay attention for a moment, please!")

- "De vrienden van Frank...altijd oppassen met die lui..." 
("Frank's friends...you always have to be careful with those people...")

- "Lieve luitjes...mag ik even jullie aandacht?" 
("Dear people, can I have your attention just now?")

Related words:
- Luitjes: people, folks [noun] [<no singular>, de luitjes].
- Lieden: people, folks [noun] [<no singular>, de lieden].
- Mens: human (being) [noun] [de mens, de mensen].
- Mensen: people, humans [noun] [de mens, de mensen].
- Persoon: person [noun] [de persoon, de personen].

Even

1. just (for a moment)
[adverb]

"Even" is used very regularly in Dutch in the meaning "just for a moment" or "just for a little while". When writing emails or texts on a cellphone, it's often abbreviated to "effe" or "ff". (The sign in the picture says: "ff pauze", meaning: "[take a] little break").

Examples:
- "Het is veel te lekker weer vandaag om binnen achter een scherm te zitten; ik ga even naar buiten." 
("The weather is far too good today to sit inside behind a screen; I'm just going outside (for a moment).")

- "Waar is Linda?" - "Ze is even boodschappen doen".  
("Where is Linda?" -"She just went out to do shopping.")

- "Heb je even een kwartiertje voor me?" -"Liever later, ik ben net met iets bezig en dat gaat nog wel even duren." 
("Can you spare me 15 minutes?" - "I prefer later, I'm just working on something that is going to take a little while".)

- "Even geduld a.u.b., u wordt zo spoedig mogelijk geholpen." 
("Please be patient, we will assist you as soon as possible". Lit.: "[...] you will be helped as soon as possible.")

Expressions:
- "Ho eens even": wait a minute.

Example:
- "Ho eens even, als je mijn fiets wilt lenen moet je dat wel even vragen."
("Wait a minute, if you want to borrow my bike, you should ask.")

Extra:
Dutch singer Gordon (who went to last year's Eurovision Songfestival as one of the Toppers) had his biggest hit with "Kon ik maar even bij je zijn" ("If only I could be with you for just a while").

2. even
[adjective/adverb]

The second meaning of "even" is "even" (not odd).

Examples:
- "Wat is je geluksgetal? Een even of een oneven getal?" 
("What's your lucky number? An even or uneven number?")

Expressions:
- "Het is mij om het even": It's all the same to me, I don't prefer one option over the other.

Related words:
- Oneven: odd, uneven [adjective/adverb].

Stapel

1. pile
[noun]
[de sta-pel, de sta-pels]

A "stapel" is a pile of books, rocks, papers, problems, etcetera. The related verb is "stapelen" or "opstapelen" ("to pile up"). A little pile is a "stapeltje".

Examples:
- "Ondanks de 'clean-desk policy' ligt het bureau van mijn collega altijd vol met stapels papier." 
("Despite the clean-desk policy, my colleague's desk is always filled with piles of papers.")

- "Toen hij terugkwam van vakantie lag er een stapel post op hem te wachten." 
("When he returned from vacation, a pile of mail was waiting for him.")

- "In haar kast liggen alle broeken, rokjes, truien en bloezen netjes opgevouwen op stapeltjes." 
("In her closet all pants, skirts, sweaters and blouses are nicely folded and piled up.")

- "Omdat zij al haar geld verloor aan gokken, stapelden haar schulden zich op." 
("Since she lost all her money to gambling, her debts piled up.")

Expressions:
- "Op stapel staan": to be planned.

Related words:
- (Op)stapelen: to pile up [regular weak verb] [stapelde op, opgestapeld].
- Hoop: 1. hope [noun] [de hoop, <no plural>]; 2. heap [noun] [de hoop, de hopen].
- Ophopen: to pile up [regular weak verb] [hoopte op, opgehoopt].
- Berg: 1. mountain [noun]; 2. heap [noun] [de berg, de bergen].

2. madly in love
[adverb/adjective]

The second meaning of "stapel" is "madly in love". It is derived from "stapelverliefd" which means "madly in love". Another adjective that is often precede by "stapel" is "stapelgek" which either means "totally crazy" or "crazy in love" or both ;-) Listen to the hitsingle "Stapel op jou" by one of the best-known Dutch singers Marco Borsato.

Eren

to honour
[verb]
[e-ren, eer-de, ge-ëerd]

Examples:
- "De militair werd geëerd voor zijn heldhaftig optreden." 
("The soldier was honoured for his heroic actions.")

- "Laten we de doden eren door het leven te vieren ." 
("Let's honour the dead by celebrating life.")

- "De koning van Hispanje heb ik altijd geëerd." 
("The king of Spain I have always honoured." This line is taken from the Dutch anthem and yes, it is weird that we have always honoured the king of Spain ;-) Note that the modern translation of Spain is "Spanje".)

Expressions:
- "Ere wie ere toekomt": give credit where credit is due.
- "Die/Wie het kleine niet eert, is het grote niet weert": this saying says something like "if you are not happy with something small, you do not deserve something big".

Related words:
- Eer: honour [noun] [de eer, <no plural>].
- Vereren: to worship [verb] [vereerde, vereerd].
- Eerbetoon: tribute, homage [noun] [het eerbetoon, <no plural>].
- Eerbied: esteem, respect [noun] [de eerbied, <no plural>].
- Eerwraak: honour killing, blood revenge [noun] [de wraak, <no plural>].
- Herdenken: to commemorate [verb] [herdacht, herdacht].
- Onderscheiding: distinction, award [noun] [de onderscheiding, de onderscheidingen].

Hoofdstuk

chapter
[noun]
[het hoofd-stuk, de hoofd-stuk-ken]

If you've ever opened a Dutch book, you will have come across this word. "Hoofdstuk" consists of "hoofd" ("head") and "stuk" ("piece"). It can be used both in a literal and a figurative sense.

Examples:
- "Welke hoofdstukken moeten we voor de training morgen lezen?"
("Which chapters do we have to read for the training tomorrow?")

- " 'De avonden' van Gerard Reve is het saaiste boek dat ik ooit heb gelezen; ik heb echt mijn best gedaan, maar ben maar tot hoofdstuk twee gekomen."
(" 'The evenings' by Gerard Reve is the most boring book I've ever read; I really tried my best but I only made it to chapter two.")

- "Nu Michael Jackson is overleden, is er een hoofdstuk in de geschiedenis van de popmuziek gesloten."
("Now that Michael Jackson has passed away, a chapter in the history of pop music is closed.")

- "De hernieuwde onderhandelingen tussen de twee vijanden waren het begin van een nieuw hoofdstuk."
("The renewed negotiations between the two enemies were the beginning of a new chapter.")

Related words:
- Inhoudsopgave: table of contents [noun] [de inhoudsopgave, de inhoudsopgaven].
- Hoofd: head [noun] [het hoofd, de hoofden].
- Stuk: 1. piece [noun] [het stuk, de stukken] 2. broken [adjective/adverb] 3. document [noun] [het stuk, de stukken].
- Paragraaf: paragraph [noun] [de paragraaf, de paragrafen].

Voorgevel

1. façade, face, front
[noun]
[de voor-ge-vel, de voor-ge-vels]

De "voorgevel" is the front side of a house or building. One typically uses the general "gevel" (façade) unless you want to distinguish from the "achtergevel" (rear façade) or potential "zijgevels" (side façades).

Examples:
- "Dat oude huis heeft een prachtige voorgevel." 
("That old house has a beautiful façade.")

- "Langs de Amsterdamse grachten staan huizen met voorgevels die dateren uit de 17e, 18e en 19e eeuw." 
("Along the Amsterdam canals, there are houses with façades that date from the 17th, 18th and 19th century.")

- "Nieuwsflits: vrachtwagen ramt voorgevel huis in Rotterdam." 
("Newsflash: truck rams front of house in Rotterdam.")

Related words:
- Voor: before, in front of [preposition].
- Voorkant: front [noun] [de voorkant, de voorkanten].
- Gevel: façade [noun] [de gevel, de gevels].
- Huis: house [noun] [het huis, de huizen].
- Dak: roof [noun] [het dak, de daken].

Extra:
Some of the older houses in the Netherlands have a tilted façade. To the untrained eye this may look like subsidence, but in most cases it was a deliberate choice. A plausible explanation is that a tilted façade made it easier to hoist up goods. (Other explanations are that the (originally wooden) façade was less affected by rain, or that one tried to increase the surface area of the higher floors whilst only paying tax based on the surface area of the ground floor.)

2. bosom
[noun]
[de voor-ge-vel, de voor-ge-vels]

"Voorgevel" can be used colloquially to refer to a woman's bosom, much like "knockers", "boobs" etc. It is very informal and can come across a bit sexist.

Examples:
- "Debbie heeft een flinke voorgevel, zeker in dat strakke shirt..." 
("Debbie is very bosomy, especially in that tight shirt...")

- "Pamela's voorgevel is indrukwekkend, maar het is natuurlijk allemaal nep." 
("Pamela's boobs are impressive, but it's of course all fake.")

Related words:
- Borst: chest, breast [noun] [de borst, de borsten].
- Boezem: bosom [noun] [de boezem, de boezems].

Zwoegen

to toil
[verb]
[zwoe-gen, zwoeg-de, ge-zwoegd]

"Zwoegen" is not something you do for fun. It involves real hard work. "Zwoegen" is mostly used in the physical sense, but can also be used when someone puts real serious efforts into achieving a certain goal. As opposed to the English "blood, toil, tears and sweat", Dutch leaves out the toil (as English does sometimes) and refer to "bloed, zweet en tranen" ("blood, sweat and tears").   

Examples:
- "Na een ochtend zwoegen hadden we alle verhuisdozen in de vrachtwagen geladen." 
("After a morning of toil we had loaded all the moving boxes into the truck.")

- "Lolu heeft moeten zwoegen om toegelaten te worden als comedian van Boom Chicago." 
("Lolu has had to toil to get admitted as a comedian at Boom Chicago.")

- "Annie moest hard zwoegen om het wiskundetentamen op tijd af te krijgen."
("Annie had to work really hard to finish the maths exam on time.")

- "Na een avond en nacht zwoegen bereikten de sociale partners een akkoord over een nieuwe CAO." 
("After an evening and a night of toil the social partners [trade unions and employer's organisation] reached  an agreement on a new labour condition agreement." Please note that CAO abbreviates "Collectieve ArbeidsOvereenkomst", meaning "Collective Labour Agreement".)

- "Chinese boeren zwoegen om de voedselvoorraad te vergroten." 
("Chinese farmers toil to expand the food supply.")

Expressions:
- "Het is zwoegen, zwoegen en nog eens zwoegen": it's extremely hard work.

Related words:
- Zweten: to sweat [verb] [zweette, heeft gezweet].
- Bloed: blood [noun] [het bloed, <no plural>].
- Traan: tear [noun] [de traan, de tranen].

Reserveren

to reserve
[verb]
[re-ser-ve-ren, re-ser-veer-de, ge-re-ser-veerd]

You will hear both "reserveren" and "een reservering maken", but "reserveren" is more common. The past participle "gereserveerd" is also used as an adjective or adverb, see the Related words.

Examples:
- "Deze parkeerplaats is gereserveerd voor de ambassadeur van Turkije." 
("This parking space is reserved for the ambassador of Turkey.")

- "Goedemiddag, met Sander, ik zou graag twee kaartjes reserveren voor de show 'Yankee Come Back' van vanavond." 
("Good afternoon, this is Sander (speaking), I would like to reserve two tickets for tonight's show 'Yankee Come Back'.")

- "Goedenavond, wij zouden hier graag eten." - "Ehm, hebt u gereserveerd?" 
("Good evening, we would like to have dinner here." - "Hm, have you made reservations?")

- "Wist je dat je op de site www.belbios.nl voor alle films in Nederland kaartjes kan reserveren?" 
("Did you know that at www.belbios.nl you can reserve tickets for all movies in the Netherlands?")

- "Reserveren? Voor vanavond? Nee joh, die film draait al weken, dat is echt niet meer nodig." 
("Reserve tickets? For tonight? No way, that movie has been playing for weeks, it is really not necessary anymore.")

Related words:
- Reservering: reservation [noun] [de reservering, de reserveringen].
- Gereserveerd: reserved [adverb/adjective].

Example:
- "Onze nieuwe buurman is een aardige man, maar hij komt toch nog wat gereserveerd over."
("Our new neighbour is a friendly guy, but he still comes across a bit reserved.")

Zee

sea
[noun]
[de zee, de zee-ën]

Half of the surface of the Netherlands - literally: the "low lands" - is below sea level: "zeeniveau". The sea is everywhere in Dutch history. In 1953, a large part of the province of Zeeland was flooded, killing over 1800 people. After this tragedy, the Deltawerken were constructed.

Note the plural of "zee": "zeeën". If a syllable ending on an -e or -ie is stressed, the plural gets an extra "e". Since "zee" has only one syllable, the plural gets an extra " e".

Examples:
- "De woeste zee sloeg tegen de rotsen." 
("The savage sea beat against the rocks.")

- "Heb je zin om naar zee te gaan? Het is zo'n lekker weer!" 
("Do you feel like going to the sea? The weather is so nice!")

- "De zee bij Capri is prachtig groenblauw." 
("The sea near Capri is beautifully green-blue.")

- "Dit huis heeft echt een zee van ruimte binnen." 
("This house is really spacious inside.")

Expressions:
- "Water naar de zee dragen": to carry coals to Newcastle, to perform a useless activity.
- "Zo rijk als de zee diep is": filthy rich. Lit.: as rich as the sea is deep.
- "Een echte schipper bevaart ook de Rode Zee": <informal> a real man always makes love to his woman, even when she's having her period. Lit.: a real skipper also sails the Red Sea.
- "Met iemand in zee gaan": to do business with someone, to cooperate with someone. Lit.: to go into sea with someone.
- "Recht door zee": honest, straight forward. Lit.: straight through sea.

Related words:
- Water: water [noun] [water, de wateren].
- Watersnood: flood, inundation [noun] [de watersnood, de watersnoden].
- Overstroming: flooding [noun] [de overstroming, de overstromingen].
- Zeewater: sea water [noun] [het zeewater, <no plural>].
- Oceaan: ocean [noun] [de oceaan, de oceanen].
- Golf: wave [noun] [de golf, de golven].

Extra:
The Normaal Amsterdam Peil (lit.: Normal Amsterdam Level, usually abbreviated to NAP) is the reference to which altitude measurements in the Netherlands are related. For ease of use, the NAP is alligned with the average sea level, but in fact it's higher.

Wonder boven wonder

miraculously, by a miracle, for a wonder 
[Dutch phrase of the week]

The Dutch word "wonder" translates to the english "wonder" or "miracle". The expression literally translates to "wonder above wonder": by a miracle / for a wonder.

Examples:
- "Wonder boven wonder zijn er geen mensen gewond geraakt bij die kettingbotsing." 
("Miraculously, no people got hurt in that multiple car collision.")

- "Wonder boven wonder heeft de oude man de hevige brand overleefd." 
("By a miracle, the old man survived the intense fire.")

- "De vrouw heeft bij haar val uit een raam vanaf de tweede verdieping wonder boven wonder niks gebroken." 
("Miraculously, the woman didn't break anything when she fell from a window on the second floor.")

Expressions:
- "De wonderen zijn de wereld nog niet uit": wonders (will) never cease.

Related words:
- Wonder: wonder, miracle [noun] [het wonder, de wonderen].
- Verrassing: surprise [noun] [de verrassing, de verrassingen].
- Verbazing: astonishment [noun] [de verbazing, <no plural>].

Extra:
Check out the lyrics of a famous Dutch children's song called "Ik zag twee beren broodjes smeren" (lit.: I saw two bears making sandwiches).

Ik zag twee beren broodjes smeren

Oh, het was een wonder

't Was een wonder, boven wonder,

dat die beren smeren konden

Hi hi hi, ha ha ha

Ik stond erbij en ik keek er naar

Uitstraling

appearance, personality, emission, radiation
[noun]
[de uit-stra-ling, de uit-stra-lin-gen]

"Uitstraling" consists of "uit", which is the opposite of "in" and means from inside to outside, and "straling" which means "radiation". "Uitstraling" can be used in both a literal and a figurative sense. In the literal sense, it can be translated as "emission". In the figurative sense, "uitstraling" relates to the appearance of something, or the emotions that a person displays. The related verb is "uitstralen" ("to radiate").

Examples:
- "Ik vind dat de website van ons bedrijf geen professionele uitstraling heeft." 
("I think that the website of our company does not have a professional appearance.")

- "Veel mensen vinden dat Barack Obama een enorme uitstraling heeft." 
("A lot of people think that Barack Obama possesses charisma / has a huge personality." Please note that "charisma" is also a Dutch word.)

- "<Plaatje:> Het ontwerp van het Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre heeft een futuristische uitstraling.
("<Picture:> The design of the Abu Dhabi Performing Arts Centre has a futuristic appearance.")

- "Mijn buurvrouw heeft pijn in haar rug die uitstraalt naar haar been." 
("My [female] neigbour has pain in her back that radiates to her leg.")

- "De puber had ondanks zijn jonge leeftijd een wijze uitstraling." 
("The adolescent had a wise appearance despite his young age.")

- "Zij straalt zelfvertrouwen uit." 
("She oozes self-confidence.")

Related words:
- Uitstralen: to radiate [verb] [straalde uit, uitgestraald] [regular strong verb].
- Charisma: charisma [noun] [het charisma, <no plural>].

Druppel

drop(let), drip
[noun]
[de drup-pel, de drup-pels]

A "druppel" is a drop of any liquid. A quite famous expression with "druppel" is "de druppel die de emmer doet overlopen" ("the last drop makes the cup run over"), see Dat doet de deur dicht for more synonymous expressions.

Examples:
- "De bladeren lagen 's ochtends vol met druppels dauw." 
("The leaves were full of dewdrops in the morning.")

- "De zweetdruppels liepen in straaltjes over haar hoofd." 
("The drops of sweat trickled down her face.")

- "Hij is verkouden; hij heeft een druppel aan zijn neus." 
("He has a cold; he has a drip on his nose.")

- "De stemmers druppelden het stemlokaal binnen." 
("The voters came into the polling station one by one." Please note that this imples that the station was not crowded.)

- "Ik heb oogdruppels die ik twee keer per dag in mijn ogen druppel." 
("I have eyedrops that I put in my eyes twice a day.")

Expressions:
- "De druppel die de emmer doet overlopen": the last straw.
- "Op elkaar lijken als twee druppels water": to be like as two peas in a pod. Lit.: "To resemble each other as two drops of water".

Example:
- "Niet alle tweelingen lijken als twee druppels water op elkaar."
("Not all twins are like as two peas in a pod.")

- "Een druppel op een gloeiende plaat": (just) a drop in the ocean.

Related words:
- Druppelen: to drip, to drizzle [verb] [druppelde, gedruppeld] [regular weak verb].
- Druppen: to trickle, dribble, spit [verb] [drupte, gedrupt] [regular weak verb].

Gedogen

to tolerate, to permit, to allow
[verb]
[ge-do-gen, ge-doog-de, ge-doogd]

Generally, "gedogen" translates to "to allow" or "to permit". Legally, - and that's the context how it's mostly used in Dutch - it refers to not enforcing certain laws. The Dutch authorities tolerate some offences. Some things like smoking marijuana are formally forbidden by law, but the Dutch authorities abstain from bringing criminal charges to these offenders. This policy is  commonly known as the Dutch "gedoogbeleid". The Dutch policy on soft drugs is the most well-know form of "gedoogbeleid", see also Wikipedia.

Examples:
- "We kunnen deze billenknijper niet langer gedogen!" 
("We can no longer tolerate this bottom squeezer!")

- "De burgemeester van Maastricht heeft gezegd dat hij coffeeshops in het centrum van de stad niet langer wil gedogen." 
("The mayor of Maastricht has said that he no longer wants to allow hash bars in the city center.")

- "Volgens sommigen leidt het gedoogbeleid tot drugstoerisme in de Nederlandse grensstreken." 
("According to some, the toleration policy leads to drug tourism in the Dutch border regions.")

Related words:
- Gedoogbeleid: toleration policy [noun] [het gedoogbeleid, <no plural>].
- Tolereren: to tolerate [verb] [tolereren, tolereerde, getolereerd].

Example:
- "Meneer, ik kan uw belachelijke gedrag niet tolereren."
("Sir, I cannot tolerate your ridiculous behaviour.")

- Toestaan: to allow [verb] [toestaan, stond toe, toegestaan].
- Coffeeshop: cannabis coffee shop, hash bar (where the sale of cannabis and hashish for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities) [noun] [de coffeeshop, de coffeeshops].

Extra:
Check out the view of Vincent Vega (played by John Travolta) on the Dutch "gedoogbeleid" :-)

Vlinder

butterfly
[noun]
[de vlin-der, de vlin-ders]

A "vlinder" is a butterfly. There are over 50 day-flying butterfly species in the Netherlands, although it seems that their number has decreased during the last ten, twenty years.

And yes, the Dutch have butterflies in their tummies too :-)

Examples:
- "Zij is als een vlinder...ik ben zo verliefd op haar..." 
("She's like a butterfly...I'm so in love with her...")

- "Een witte vlinder op een rode roos...wat een romantisch beeld..." 
("A white butterfly on a red rose...what a romantic image...")

- "Het vlindereffect is de theorie die zegt dat het gefladder van een vlinder ergens anders ter wereld een tornado kan veroorzaken." 
("The butterfly effect is the theory which states that the fluttering of a butterfly can cause a tornado in another part of the world.")

- "Vorige week had Frank nog vlinders in zijn buik. Gisteren heeft hij weer een blauwtje gelopen." 
("Last week, Frank still had butterflies in his tummy. Yesterday he was turned down again.")

Related words:
- Insekt: insect [noun] [het insekt, de insekten].
- Mot: moth [noun] [de mot, de motten].
- Rups: caterpillar [noun] [de rups, de rupsen].
- Vlieg: fly [noun] [de vlieg, de vliegen].

Example:
- "Ober, er zit een vlieg in mijn soep."
("Waiter, there is a fly in my soup.")

- Bij: bee [noun] [de bij, de bijen].
- Wesp: wasp [noun] [de wesp, de wespen].
- Vlinderdas: bow tie [noun] [de vlinderdas, de vlinderdassen].
- Vlindermes: butterfly knife, balisong [noun] [het vlindermes, de vlindermessen].

Kapsalon

hairdresser's (salon), hair salon
[noun]
[de kap-sa-lon, de kap-sa-lons]

"Kapsalon" is composed of "kap" (from "kappen") and "salon". A "kapsalon" is mostly frequented by women. Men would go to a "kapper" (hairdresser, barber (shop) ).

A "kapsalon" is also the name of a snack/dish, which is on the menu of most shoarma snackbars in the region of Rotterdam, see Extra...

Examples:
- "Waar is Maria?" - "Ze heeft een afspraak bij de kapsalon." 
("Where is Maria?" - "She has an appointment at the hairdresser's.)

- "Kapsalon Elle...wassen, knippen & föhnen voor slechts 15 euro." 
("Elle Hair Salon...wash, cut & blow-dry for only 15 euros.")

Related words:
- Kappen: to cut (a tree) / to do someone's hair [verb] [kappen, kapte, gekapt].
- Wassen: to wash [verb] [wassen, waste, gewast].

Example:
- "Eerst je handen wassen voor het eten!"
("First wash your hands before dinner.")

- Knippen: to cut (with a pair of scissors) [verb] [knippen, knipte, geknipt].
- Föhnen: to blow-dry [verb] [föhnen, föhnde, geföhnd].
- Nagelsalon: nail salon [noun] [de nagelsalon, de nagelsalons].

Extra:
A "kapsalon" is also the name of  a snack/dish, which is on the menu of most shoarma snackbars in Rotterdam, and which is gaining popularity in the Randstad, and all over the Netherlands. It's an aluminium dish filled with layers of: fries, kebab, salad, (lots of) garlick sauce, and with cheese on top. The whole is put briefly in the oven until the cheese has melted.

The name apparently originates from some local hair salon which always ordered this dish with these specific ingredients...

Buigen

to bow, to bend
[verb]
[bui-gen, boog, ge-bo-gen]

"Buigen" can be translated with "to bow" or "to bend". The related noun is "buiging": bow.

Examples:
- "De priester boog zijn hoofd toen hij de paus zag." 
("The priest bowed his head when he saw the pope.")

- "Dit metaal buigt niet." 
("This metal doesn't bend.")

- "De weg buigt over 100 meter naar links." 
("The road takes a bend to the left in 100 meters.")

- "Buig uw hoofd in schaamte, ongelovige!" 
("Bow your head in shame, infidel!")

Expressions:
- "Buigen of barsten": Bend or break, to give in or get into trouble.
- "Buigen als een knipmes": to take a rigid and deep bow. Lit.: to bow like a jack knife.

Example:
- "De chinese kok boog als een knipmes toen wij hem bedankten voor het klaargemaakte eten."
("The Chinese cook took a deep bow when we thanked him for the prepared food.")

Related words:
- Bocht: bend, curve [noun] [de bocht, de bochten].
- Buiging: bow [noun] [de buiging, de buigingen].

Example:
- "De ober maakte een lichte buiging toen hij de eerste gang had geserveerd."
("The waiter made a small bow after having served the first course.")

- Knielen: to kneel [verb] [knielen, knielde, geknield].
- Barsten: to burst, to crack [verb] [barsten, barstte, gebarsten].
- Breken: to break [verb] [breken, brak, gebroken].

Ontmoeten

to meet
[verb]
[ont-moe-ten, ont-moet-te, ont-moet]

"Ontmoeten" is typically used for the moment of encountering one another. In a formal context it can also imply meeting for a longer time, for example between heads of state. You can use "ontmoeten" for both planned and unexpected meetings. The activity of "getting together (to socialize)" is "afspreken". Instead of "ontmoeten" you can sometimes also use "treffen", or "tegenkomen", see the Related words.

You may hear "ontmoeten" being used figuratively, e.g. "weerstand ontmoeten" ("to meet with opposition").

Examples:
- "Weet jij waar Peter en Holis elkaar (voor het eerst) hebben ontmoet?" 
("Do you know where Peter and Holis met for the fist time?")

- "Waar hebben jullie elkaar ontmoet?" 
("Where did you (guys) first meet?" Without context this is likely to refer to a first encounter, but can also mean "where did you meet?" although it would be more common to use "tegenkomen" or "afspreken" in that case.)

- "Dat is dan afgesproken; we ontmoeten elkaar op het station." 
("That's a deal / Agreed; we will see/meet each other at the station.")

- "Simon ontmoette Erica op een feestje. Hij was direct wild van haar, maar Erica zag hem niet zitten." 
("Simon met Erica at a party. He was crazy about her immediately, but Erica did not like him." Lit.: "but did not see him sit." You can also translate "niet zien zitten" with "to not be up for it", "to not have faith in it", etc.)

- "Er was kritiek op Balkenende toen hij de dalai lama niet wilde ontmoeten."
("Balkenende was criticized when he did not want to meet with the dalai lama.")

Expressions:
- "Wie goed doet, goed ontmoet": not always true, but this expression says that in order to be treated well (or encounter no harm) one has to be a good person ("do as you would be done by"). Despite its archaic character this is a common expression!

Related words:
- Ontmoeting: encounter [noun] [de ontmoeting, de ontmoetingen].
- Treffen: to meet (up) [verb] [trof, getroffen]. Typically used when you have agreed to meet.

Example:
- "Waar treffen wij elkaar morgen?" - "Even denken, op de hoek van Keizersgracht en Reestraat?"
("Where do we meet tomorrow?" - "Let me think, on the corner of Keizersgracht and Reestraat?")

- Afspreken: to fix a date/time, to make an appointment [verb] [sprak af, afgesproken].
- Tegenkomen: to meet/encounter [verb] [kwam tegen, tegengekomen].

Example:
- "Ik ben Kit nog tegengekomen in de stad." - "O leuk, hebben jullie even kunnen bijpraten?"
("I ran/bumped into Kit (when I was) downtown / in the city centre". - "That's nice, did you get the chance to catch up a little?")

Koesteren

to cherish
[verb]
[koes-te-ren, koes-ter-de, ge-koes-terd]

"Koesteren" is a word with a positive connotation: to cherish. Objects of one's "koestering" can be physical things, persons, ideas or concepts.

Examples:
- "Ik koester de gedachte dat ik je hier altijd aan mijn zijde zal hebben." 
("I cherish the thought of always having you here by my side.")

- "Dit prachtige moment moeten we koesteren." 
("We must cherish this beautiful moment.")

- "Ik zal mijn kinderen voor altijd koesteren in mijn hart." 
("I will cherish my children in my heart for ever.")

- "De liefde van mijn leven is met de noorderzon vertrokken...nu koester ik slechts de herinnering..." 
("The love of my life left without a trace...now I merely cherish the memory...")

Expressions:
- "(De) hoop koesteren": to hope, to keep up the hope.
- "(De) vrees koesteren": to fear.

Example:
- "Ik koester de vrees dat er geen overlevenden zijn."
("I fear that there are no survivors.")

- "Zich koesteren in het zonnetje": to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Related words:
- Houden van: to love [noun] [houden van, hield van, gehouden van].
- Liefde: love [noun] [de liefde, de liefdes].
- Hunkeren: to long for [verb] [hunkeren, hunkerde, gehunkerd].

Example:
- "Frank hunkert naar de liefde van zijn moeder."
("Frank longs for his mother's love.")

- Waarderen: to appreciate [verb] [waarderen, waardeerde, gewaardeerd].

Pop

1. doll
[noun]
[de pop, de pop-pen]

"Pop" means "doll". Of course we all know the world's most famous doll, Barbie. Many Dutch girls have had their own "barbiepop" ("Barbie doll"). See Examples for more on dolls. Some men also refer to their girlfriend or women in general as "pop" or its diminutive "poppetje". If a girl looks fragile and dressed up, some people could refer to her as a "poppetje". It could be used in both a positive and a negative meaning.

Examples:
- "Heb je die poppen bij Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam wel eens bekeken?"- "Oh, de wassen beelden bedoel je? Nee, nog niet." 
("Have you ever seen those dolls at Madame Tussauds in Amsterdam? -"Oh, you mean the wax sculptures? No not yet.")

- "De bewaker van Paleis Noordeinde stond kaarsrecht en knipperde zelfs niet met zijn ogen; hij leek net een pop." 
("The guard of Noordeinde Palace stood upright and didn't even blink his eyes; he looked just like a doll.")

- "Mijn buurvrouw spaart porseleinen poppen." 
("My neighbour collects porcelain dolls." Please note that Dutch distinguishes between female and male neighbours, "buurvrouw" and "buurman", respectively.)

- "Zij is echt een poppetje: elke dag worden haar nagels en haar gedaan." 
("She is really a doll; every day she gets her nails and hair done.")

- "Tijdens het kinderfeestje werd poppenkast gespeeld met echte poppenkastpoppen." 
("During the children's party a charade was performed with real puppet theatre dolls.")

- "Deze politieke beweging stelt echt helemaal niets voor; het is een grote poppenkast." 
("This political movement amounts to nothing at all; it's one big charade.")

Related words:
- Poppenkast: puppet theatre [noun] [de poppenkast, de poppenkasten].

2. pop
[noun]
[de pop, <no plural]

"Pop" can also refer to the music genre "pop". "Popmuziek" is "pop music", a "popgroep" is a band playing pop music. "Nederpop" is popmusic with Dutch lyrics, derived from the name of our country "Nederland" ("Netherlands"; "neder" is oldfashioned Dutch for "low"). Check out the Extra of DWOTD "Dak" for a typical 1950's "Nederpopsong". Dutch hasn't invented its own words for music genres and just copies the English words (jazz, soul, R&B, rock, metal).

Examples:
- "Houd je van Nederpop?"-"Ja hoor, ik luister naar alles: De Dijk, Blof, Doe Maar." 
("Do you like Dutch pop music? "Sure, I listen to everything: De Dijk, Bløf, Doe Maar.")

- "Gaat je voorkeur uit naar pop, jazz of bossanova?" 
("Do you prefer pop, jazz, or bossanova?")

Related words:
- Popgroep: band playing pop [noun] [de popgroep, de popgroepen].
- Popmuziek: pop music [noun] [de popmuziek, <no plural>].

Extra:
During the Pentecost weekend and on First Pentecost day ("Pinksterweekend" and "Pinkstermaandag"), Dutch popfestival Pinkpop will be held for the fourtiest time in Landgraaf. The logo of the festival combines "pop" in its two meanings: "doll" and "pop".

Rimpel

wrinkle
[noun]
[de rim-pel, de rim-pels]

"Rimpels" are "wrinkles", lines that appear on people's faces when they grow older. The related adjective "gerimpeld" can refer to a wrinkled face, but also more generally, to a surface that has one or more ridges.

Examples:
- "Mijn nieuwe dagcrème belooft dat rimpels tot de verleden tijd behoren." 
("My new daycream promises that wrinkles belong to the past.")

- "Ik kan zien dat je veel lacht: je hebt allemaal lachrimpeltjes om je ogen." 
("I can see that you laugh a lot: you have a lot of little wrinkles around your eyes from laughing.")

- "De oma had een rimpelloze huid na de botox-behandeling." 
("The grandma had a wrinkleless skin after the botox-treatment.")

- "Het nieuwe drankje "Fontein van de Jeugd" garandeert een rimpelloos bestaan." 
("The new potion "Fountain of Youth" guarantees a wrinkleless existence.")

- "De gerimpelde oude man zat glimlachend op een bankje in de zon." 
("The wrinkled old man sat smiling on a little bench in the sun.")

Related words:
- Plastische chirurgie: plastic surgery [noun] [de plastische chirurgie, <no plural>].
- Crème: cream [noun] [de crème, de crèmes].

Schimmel

1. fungus, mould
[noun]
[de schim-mel, de schim-mels]

Een "schimmel" is a fungus or a mould. A mushroom is a "paddenstoel" (which grows in the wild) or "champignon" (which is grown on farms).

Examples:
- "Er zit schimmel op het brood." 
("The bread is moulded." Lit.: "There's mould on the bread.")

- "De dokter heeft een zalf voorgeschreven voor de schimmel tussen mijn tenen." 
("The doctor has prescribed an ointment for the mould between my toes.")

- "Wat is er met deze boom aan de hand?" - "Ik denk dat er de schimmel in zit." 
("What's going on with this tree?" - "I think it's been affected by a fungus." Lit.: "I think that the fungus is in it.")

Related words:
- (Be)schimmelen: to mould, to get mouldy [verb] [(be)schimmelen, (be)schimmelde, (be)schimmeld].
- Paddenstoel: mushroom [verb] [de paddenstoel, de paddenstoelen].

Example:
- "Deze paddenstoel behoort tot een familie giftige schimmels."
("This mushroom belongs to a family of poisonous fungi.")

Extra:
The Dutch have a lot of rules to guarantee hygiene in the horeca. Of course, not all restaurants follow the rules...which has led to an entertaining TV show: "Smaakpolitie" (lit.: taste police). Its host Rob de Geus is on a personal mission to ban every mould from Dutch kitchens. Watch this remarkable clip, where he visists a student dorm...

2. grey (horse)
[noun]
[de schim-mel, de schim-mels]

A "schimmel" is also a grey (horse). The most famous grey in the Netherlands makes its appearance around the 5th of December: Sinterklaas' favourite way of transport is his grey :-)

Examples:
- "Sinterklaas rijdt op zijn schimmel over de Nederlandse daken...geloof jij het?" 
("Sinterklaas rides his grey over the Dutch rooftops...do you believe it?")

- "Deze schimmel is een lief beest, dat zwarte paard is vals..." 
("This grey horse is a sweet animal, that black horse is mean...")

Expressions:
- "Je mag een gegeven paard niet in bek kijken": to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Related words:
- Paard: horse [noun] [het paard, de paarden].
- Tuig: harness [noun] [het tuig, <no plural>].

Example:
- "Ik heb een nieuw tuig voor mijn schimmel gekocht."
("I bought a new harness for my gray.")

- Pakjesavond: (lit.) evening of presents, Sinterklaas' evening.

Bezorgen

1. to deliver
[verb]
[be-zor-gen, be-zorg-de, be-zorgd]

Having goods delivered to your house in the Netherlands can be a painful exercise. They of course always come when you are not at home and eventually you will have to go and collect it yourself at the post office. Which will then be closed :-) Two weeks ago I ordered a printer on the Internet, and yes it has been delivered - three times already - ... at the wrong address.

Examples:
- "Er is voor jou een pakje bezorgd. Je kunt het komen ophalen tussen 9 en 10 uur." 
("A package was delivered for you. You can (come and) collect it between 9 and 10 AM.")

- "Kunt u het bij mij thuis laten bezorgen?" 
("Can you deliver it at my house?" Lit. "have it delivered...")

- "De postbode bezorgt elke dag van de week behalve zondag." 
("The mail man delivers each day of the week apart from Sundays.")

- "Wij hebben geprobeerd een pakje bij u te bezorgen, maar u was niet thuis. U kunt het pakje ophalen op het postkantoor."
("We have tried to deliver a package at your house (literally: "with you"), but you were not at home. You can collect the package at the post office.")

Related words:
- Bezorging: delivery [noun] [de bezorging, <no plural>].
- Bezorgkosten: delivery charge/fee [noun] [de kosten].
- Post: mail [noun] [de post, <no plural>].
- Pakje: parcel, package [noun] [het pakje, de pakjes].

2. to give, to provide with
[verb]
[be-zor-gen, be-zorg-de, be-zorgd]

"Bezorgen" is also used figuratively. The translation given does not cover it properly, best to check out the examples below.

Examples:
- "Haar vriend werkt bij een bank en hij heeft mij daar onlangs een baan bezorgd." 
("Her boyfriend works at a bank and he recently got me a job there.")

- "Hij haalt nooit zijn deadlines en dat heeft hem een slechte reputatie bezorgd." 
("He never meets his deadlines and that has earned him a bad reputation.")

- "Waarom lees je je e-mail niet goed? Nu moet ik het weer uitleggen en dat bezorgt mij extra werk. Je wordt bedankt!" 
("Why don't you properly read your e-mail? Now I have to explain it again and that causes a lot of extra work for me. Well thanks a lot!")

Expressions:
- "Iemand grijze haren bezorgen": to give someone grey hair, to make somebody worry heavily.

Example:
- "Met dit roekeloze gedrag bezorgt hij mij echt grijze haren."
("His reckless behaviour really makes me worry." Lit.: "With this reckless behaviour he really turns me grey.")

Kopje

(little) cup
[noun]
[het kop-je, de kop-jes]

"Kopje" - literally "little cup" - is the diminutive of "kop", but this is often lost in translation.

"Kop" also translates to "head", therefore "kopje" would also translate to "little head", but this is only used in a couple of expression, listed under Extra 2.

Examples:
- "Wilt u een kopje koffie, meneer?" 
("Would you like a cup of coffee, sir?")

- "Ik drink mijn thee liever niet uit een plastic bekertje, maar uit een echt kopje." 
("I'd rather not drink my tea from a plastic cup, but from a real cup.")

- "Kopje koffie, glazenwasser?" 
("Cup of coffee, Mr. Window-cleaner?" Famous line from a popular Dutch TV series "Pisa" in the 80s)

Related words:
- Beker: mug [noun] [de beker, de bekers].
- Koffie: coffee [noun] [de koffie, <no plural>].
- Thee: tea [noun] [de thee, <no plural>].
- Lepeltje: (little) spoon [noun] [het lepeltje, de lepeltjes].
- Roeren: to stir [verb] [roeren, roerde, geroerd].

Extra:
In the eighties, VOF de Kunst was a popular Dutch band. They had two big hits: "Suzanne" and "Eén kopje koffie". Check out the clips on YouTube...and you maybe able to sing along whenever they play them in a bar ;-)

Extra 2 :
- "Kopje duikelen": to turn somersaults.
- "Kopje onder gaan": to get a ducking.
- "Kopjes geven": a cat rubbing its head against someone.

Gewoon

1. usual, common, ordinary, regular, plain
[adjective/adverb]
[ge-woon]

The Dutch think they're pretty common people. We even feel that it's a virtue to be "common"...see the - very common - first expression under Expressions.

Examples:
- "Ik ben slechts een gewone jongen." 
("I'm just a common guy.")

- "In Nederland is het heel gewoon dat mensen elkaar tutoyeren." 
("In the Netherlands, it's very normal that people are on a first-name basis with each other.")

- "Dit is geen gewone man, nee dit is Superman!" 
("This is not an ordinary man, no this is Superman!")

- "Ik wil graag een gewone koffie." 
("I would like a regular coffee.")

- "Hebben ze in Jordanië gewone stopcontacten?" 
("Do they have normal power plugs in Jordan?")

Expressions:
- "Doe nou maar gewoon, dan doe je gek genoeg": There's no need to act all crazy like that. Lit.: Just act normal, that's crazy enough".
- "Zoals gewoonlijk": As usual.

Related words:
- Gewoonlijk: usually [adjective].

2. just, simply
[adjective/adverb]
[ge-woon]

Examples:
- "Dit is gewoon liefde op het eerste gezicht." 
("This is just love at first sight.")

- "Het is gewoon de bedoeling dat deze ellende ophoudt!" 
("This misery is simply supposed to stop!")

- "Het was niet gewoon een vluggertje...Frank is echt verliefd..." 
("It wasn't simply a quickie...Frank is really in love...")

- "Gewoon doen." 
("Just do it.")

3. used to, accustomed to
[adjective/adverb]
[ge-woon]

Using "gewoon" in this context is somewhat formal. A less formal synonym you may see more often is "gewend".

Examples:
- "Ik ben dit niet gewoon." 
("I'm not accustomed to this.")

- "De burgemeester is niet gewoon zich te begeven onder het gewone volk." 
("The mayor is not used to make his way among the common people.")

Related words:
- Gewend aan: used to [adjective].

Example:
- "Frank is niet gewend aan deze hoge temperaturen."
("Frank is not used to these high temperatures.")

Roos

1. rose
[noun]
[de roos, de ro-zen]

The most common use of "roos" is "rose". As you probably know, roses are not Holland's most famous flowers; tulips are. If you've ever visited the Keukenhof (I have to admit I haven't), you know how serious the Dutch take their tulips. "Roos" can have several other meanings that are explained below.

Examples:
- "Op haar 28e verjaardag kreeg ze 28 rode rozen van haar vriend." 
("On her 28th birthday she got 28 red roses from her boyfriend.")

- "Wat zijn je lievelingsbloemen? Rozen, tulpen, anemonen, lelies of chrysanten?" 
("What are your favorite flowers? Roses, tulips, anemones, lilies or chrysanthemums?")

- "Hij plukte rozen uit de tuin van de buren." 
("He picked roses from the neighbours' garden.")

- "Kun je de rozen even schuin afsnijden voor je ze in een vaas zet?" 
("Can you cut the roses slantwise before you put them in a vase?")

Expressions:
- "Slapen als een roos": to sleep like a baby.

Related words:
- Bloem: flower [noun] [de bloem, de bloemen].
- Tulp: tulip [noun] [de tulp, de tulpen].

Extra:
"Sleeping beauty" is called "Doornroosje" in Dutch. "Doorn" means "thorn" and "roosje" is the diminutive of "roos" thus meaning "little rose". She's probably called this way because a thick thorny hedge is surrounding the castle where she's "sleeping like a rose" ;-)

As for girls' names, "Roos" is also a common Dutch name. In the 1990's, Dutch band Linda, Roos and Jessica scored a hit with "Ademnood" ("Shortness in breath").

2. dandruff
[noun]
[de roos, <no plural>]

Examples:
- "Gebruik je een anti-roos shampoo om roos tegen te gaan?" 
("Do you use an anti-dandruff shampoo to prevent dandruff?")

3. bull's-eye
[noun]
[de roos, <no plural>]

Examples:
- "Hij zei dat hij niet kon omgaan met een wapen maar hij schoot de eerste keer dat hij het probeerde in de roos!" 
("He said he couldn't handle a gun, but he hit the bull's-eye the first time he tried .")

Expressions:
- "In de roos!": bulls'-eye!
- "Een schot in de roos": a bull's-eye, the perfect choice/decision/gift.

Stopcontact

socket, wall socket/plug, power socket, power-point
[noun]
[het stop-con-tact, de stop-con-tac-ten]

"Stopcontacten" are everywhere in the Netherlands :-) Sometimes you may hear the somewhat more formal term "wandcontactdoos" or "contactdoos".

Dutch power sockets have two holes, and sometime a ground pin. For the nerds among us: the official socket standard(s) used in the Netherlands is Type C and Type F and Type E/F...

Examples:
- "Kinderen, probeer nooit een pen in een stopcontact te steken..."  - "Doe niet zo betuttelend..."
("Children, never try to stick a pen into a power socket..." - "Don't be patronizing like that...")

- "Steek eerst de stekker in het stopcontact, zet dan de computer aan." 
("First put the plug in the power socket, then turn on the computer.")

- "Als je de gloeilamp gaat vervangen, trek dan eerst de stekker uit het stopcontact." 
("If you're going to change the light bulb, first pull the plug from the socket.")

Expressions:
- "Balen als een stekker": to be really fed up with something.
- "Zijn/haar stoppen sloegen door": He/she went berserk, lit.: He/She blew his/her fuses.

Example:
- "Toen Frank hoorde dat hij ontslagen zou worden, sloegen bij hem de stoppen door."
("When Frank heard that he would be fired, he went berserk.")

Related words:
- Stop: plug, fuse [noun] [de stop, de stoppen].
- Stekker: plug [noun] [de stekker, de stekkers].

Example:
- "Of je stopt de stekker erin..."
("Or you could put the plug in..." See Extra)

- Doos: box [noun] [de doos, de dozen].
- Stekkerdoos: multiple socket
- Kortsluiting: short-circuit [noun] [de kortsluiting, de kortsluitingen].
- Elektriciteit: electricity [noun] [de elektriciteit, <no plural>].
- Stroom: current [noun] [de stroom, de stromen].
- Spanning: voltage [noun] [de spanning, de spanningen].

Extra:
Somewhere in the eighties, there was a commercial by IBM running on Dutch television, which became very popular. It became particularly popular because of the phrase "Of je stopt de stekker erin" ... Check out the very, very out-dated clip on YouTube :-)

Vervangen

to replace, to stand in for
[verb]
[ver-van-gen, ver-ving, ver-van-gen]

"Vervangen" means "to replace" or "to stand in for". The verb has no relation with "vangen" which means  "to catch". As the English "to replace", you can use "vervangen" for almost anything: from broken light bulbs to kneecaps to people.. The related noun - used for people only - is "vervanger" ("substitute"). The adjective related to "vervangen" is "vervangbaar" ("replaceable").

Examples:
- "De spits werd in de laatste minuut van de wedstrijd vervangen. Zijn vervanger: een middenvelder." 
("The forward was replaced in the last minute of the game. His substitute: a midfielder.")

- "De binnenband van mijn fiets was helemaal beschadigd, dus ik heb hem vervangen." 
("The innertyre of my bicycle was completely damaged, so I replaced it.")

- "De blauwe envelop van de Belastingdient wordt binnen enkele jaren vervangen door een internetformulier." 
("The blue envelope of the Tax Authority will be replaced by an internet form within a few years.")

- "De VS gaan een van hun generaals in Afghanistan vervangen." 
("The United States will replace one of their generals in Afghanistan.")

- "Als je niet naar die afspraak kan, kun je dan vervanging regelen?" 
("If you can't make that appointment, can you arrange a replacement?")

- "Mijn mobiel valt de hele tijd uit; hij is dringend toe aan vervanging." 
("My cellpone turns itself off all the time; it urgently needs replacement.")

Expressions:
- "Vervangend vervoer": substitute transportation (e.g. as part of your car insurance service).

Related words:
- Vervanging: replacement [noun] [de vervanging, de vervangingen].
- Vervanger: replacement, substitute [noun] [de vervanger, de vervangers].
- (On)vervangbaar: (ir)replaceable [adjective/adverb].
- Vangen: to catch [verb] [ving, gevangen].

Woord

word
[noun]
[het woord, de woor-den]

A “woord” is a word. It doesn’t get easier than that :-)

Estimations on the total number of words in the Dutch language vary a lot: from one million words (not counting declinations and conjugations) up to 60 million (including declinations and conjugations). Some even say that the number of all possible Dutch words is virtually infinite, since new compositions or derivations can be endlessly created from “original” words…

Examples:
- "Deze zin heeft vijf woorden." 
("This sentence has five words.")

- "Dat zijn harde woorden." 
("Those are harsh words.")

- "De tortelduifjes hadden alleen maar lieve woordjes voor elkaar." 
("The lovebirds only had sweet little words for each other.")

- "Vrouwe, ik geef u mijn woord. Ik zal niet falen." 
("My Lady, I give you my word. I shall not fail.")

- "Wat een onzin! Zoveel woorden die nergens op slaan." 
("What nonsense! So many words that make no sense.")

Expressions:
- "Geen woord meer!": not another word!
- "Zijn woord breken": to break one’s word.
- "Het woord doen/voeren": to do the talking/to act as spokesman.
- "Het woord is aan jou/u": the floor is yours.
- "Woorden hebben met iemand": to have words with someone.
- "Het hoogste woord hebben": to talk loudest/to dominate the conversation    .
- "Zijn woord houden": to keep one’s word.
- "Zijn woord breken": to break one’s word.

Related words:
- Zin: sentence [noun] [de zin, de zinnen].
- Letter: letter [noun] [the letter, the letters].

Example:
- "Het woord ‘bouwvakkersdecolleté’ heeft 20 letters."
("The word 'bouwvakkersdecolleté' has 20 letters.")

- Woordenboek: dictionary [noun] [het woordenboek, de woordenboeken].
- Spellen: to spell [verb] [spellen, spelde, gespeld].

Extra:
Like in many other countries, Lingo is the popular "word-guessing" game show that runs on Dutch TV since 1989. It has run so long that they had to go from 5-letter words to 6-letter words…
Check out this funny audio clip on 19-letter word lingo :-)

Zeker

absolutely, sure, certain
[adverb/adjective]

"Zeker" can mean many things: it can be used as an affirmative reply to a question ("absolutely!") but also in both meanings of "certain" (see Examples) and when referring to people as "confident". Its antonym is "onzeker" and is mostly used in the translation "insecure".

In reply to a question, sometimes "ja" is added: "jazeker", which makes the affirmation even stronger.

Examples:
- "Gaan we nog naar het theater vanavond?" -" (Ja)zeker, ik heb me er de hele week op verheugd!" 
(-"Are we still going to the theatre tonight?" -"(Yes) absolutely, I've been looking forward to it all week!")

- "Heb je een leuke Bevrijdingsdag gehad? -"Jazeker! Ik ben naar een van de festivals gegaan." 
(-"Did you have a nice Liberation Day?" -"Absolutely yes! I went to one of the festivals." )

- "Ik weet zeker dat zij dat een leuk cadeau zou vinden." 
("I know for sure that she would like that present.")

- "Het is zeker dat Jacob Zuma de nieuwe president van Zuid-Afrika wordt." 
("It's certain that Jacob Zuma will be the new president of South-Africa.")

- "Ik ben er zeker van dat het gezellig wordt als hij er bij is." 
("I'm sure that it will be great fun if he'll be there.")

- "Hij heeft zo'n drukke baan dat hij zeker weer geen tijd heeft om af te spreken." 
("He has such a busy job that he probably won't have time to meet up [he never does].")

- "Zij komt erg zelfverzekerd over, terwijl hij erg onzeker lijkt." 
("She comes across very self-confident, whereas he seems quite insecure.")

- "Ik ben op zoek naar een zekere meneer Janssen." 
("I'm looking for a certain Mr. Janssen.")

- "In zekere zin heb je gelijk als je vindt dat Van Basten de juiste beslissing heeft genomen om Ajax te verlaten, maar aan de andere kant is het jammer." 
("In a way you're right if you think that Van Basten made the right choice to leave Ajax, but on the other hand it's a pity.")

Expressions:
- "Zeker weten": to know for sure.
- "Vast en zeker": definitely, certainly.
- "Zeker van zijn zaak zijn": to be absolutely sure of one's ground.

Example:
- "Je brengt hem niet zomaar op andere gedachten, hij is zeker van zijn zaak."
("You won't change his mind easily, he is absolutely sure of his ground.")

- "Het zekere voor het onzekere nemen": to be on the safe side.
- "Zijn leven niet zeker zijn": not be sure of one's life.

Related words:
- Onzeker: insecure [adjective/adverb].
- Verzekeren: assure, insure, secure [verb] [verzekerde, verzekerd].
- Zelfverzekerd: self-confident [adjective/adverb].

Extra:
Instead of "vast en zeker", the Flemish use the expression "zeker en vast"...

Bevrijdingsdag

Liberation Day
[noun]
[de be-vrij-dings-dag, de be-vrij-dings-da-gen]

Wondering why the Dutch national flag has been put out everywhere today? It's Liberation Day: the day that the Netherlands were freed from German occupation: May 5th, 1945. It was the end of World War II in the Netherlands.On May 5th, there are festivities everywhere, and there are a number of so called "bevrijdingsfestivals", which are usually free open air concerts where Dutch pop/rock artists perform in front of large audiences.

Liberation Day is preceded by "Dodenherdenking" (Remembrance of the Dead), every year on May 4th. Not only the fallen soldiers and victims of the Second World War are remembered, but the Dutch lives lost in every war and peace mission the Netherlands were involved in. During "Dodenherdenking", the flags are flown at half-mast.

Examples:
- "Vandaag is het Bevrijdingsdag! Heb je de vlag al uitgehangen?" 
("Today is Liberation Day! Have you put out the flag already?")

- "Vanwege Bevrijdingsdag, zijn er vandaag overal bevrijdingsfestivals." 
("Because of Liberation Day, there are liberation festivals everywhere today.")

Related words:
- Vrij: free [adjective].
- Bevrijden: to free, to liberate [verb] [bevrijdde, bevrijd].
- Bevrijding: liberation [noun] [de bevrijding, de bevrijdingen].
- Dag: day [noun] [de dag, de dagen].

Extra:
There's always a bit confusion whether "Bevrijdingsdag" is an official holiday or not. Well...it is an official holiday, but not everyone has a day off. The Dutch government has decided that employers and employees should come to an arrangement themselves, which effectively means that people working for the government, public organizaions etc. get a day off, and people working for commercial organization usually don't get a day off...

Lijst

1. list
[noun]
[de lijst, de lijs-ten]

A "lijst" is a written or printed summary of items: a list. A "lijst" can be "lang" (long) or "kort" (short).

There are all kinds of lists, see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Ga door met de volgende oefening op de lijst." 
("Continue with the following excersise on the list.")

- "Selecteer uw verzekeringsmaatschappij uit de volgende lijst:" 
("Select your insurance company from the following list:")

- "Frank staat op de zwarte lijst: hij heeft al drie maanden zijn rekeningen niet betaald..." 
("Frank is blacklisted / on the black list: he hasn't paid his bills for three months now...")

- "De lijst met klachten over deze internetprovider is eindeloos lang." 
("The list of complaints about this internet provider is endlessly long / never ending.")

- "De wachtlijsten in de Nederlands gezondheidszorg worden steeds langer." 
("The waiting lists in the Dutch health care system are getting longer and longer.")

Related words:
- Rij: queue, line [noun] [de rij, de rijen].
- Overzicht: overview [noun] [het overzicht, de overzichten].
- Boodschappenlijstje: shopping list [noun] [het boodschappenlijstje, de boodschappenlijstjes].

Example:
- "Vreemd...ik kan het boodschappenlijstje niet meer vinden...wat hadden we ook al weer nodig?"
("Strange...I can't find the shopping list any more ...what was it that we needed?")

2. frame
[noun]
[de lijst, de lijs-ten]

A "lijst" can also be a frame of some material around a painting or poster.

Putting a painting or a poster in a frame, is called "inlijsten" (lit.: to frame in), see the Expressions.

Examples:
- "De lijst is meer waard dan het schilderij." 
("The frame is worth more than the painting.")

- "Van welke houtsoort is deze lijst gemaakt?" 
("Of which kind of wood is this frame made?")

- "Wat een mooie poster! Nu nog een mooie lijst, en dan kan-ie aan de muur."
("What a nice poster! We'll just need a nice frame, and we can hang it on the wall." Note the colloquial use of "ie" instead of "hij".)

Expressions:
- "Dat is er eentje om in te lijsten": that's one to remember. Lit.: that's one to frame.

Related words:
- Schilderij: painting [noun] [het schilderij, de schilderijen].
- Doek: canvas [noun] [het doek, de doeken].

Tortelduif

turtledove, lovebird
[noun]
[de tor-tel-duif, de tor-tel-dui-ven]

Sometimes Dutch isn't that hard at all: a "turtledove" simply translates to Dutch "tortelduif". A kissing or cuddling couple doesn't have to consist of two pigeons, but can be virtually two of all species. When referring to a couple (instead of the bird species), often the diminutive plural "tortelduifjes" is used. The related verb "tortelen" is hardly ever used.

Examples:
- "De Turkse tortel(duif) komt sinds de tweede helft van de 20ste eeuw voor in Nederland." 
("The Turkish turtle exists in the Netherlands since the second half of the 20th century.")

- "De jonge tortelduifjes hadden alleen maar oog voor elkaar." 
("The young love birds saw nothing but each other." Lit.: "...only had eye for each other.")

- "De gefrustreerde leraar kon de tortelende stellen op het schoolplein niet aanzien." 
("The frustrated teacher couldn't stand the cuddling couples on the school yard." Lit.: "...couldn't see...")

Related words:
- Tortelen: to bill and coo [verb] [tortelde, getorteld].
- Knuffelen: to cuddle, to hug [verb] [knuffelde, geknuffeld].
- Zoenen: to kiss [verb] [zoende, gezoend].
- Duif: pigeon, dove [noun] [de duif, de duiven].

Doorgaan

1. to continue (with), to go on, to keep going
[verb]
[door-gaan, ging door, door-ge-gaan]

"Doorgaan" is composed of the verb "gaan" ("to go") and "door" which means "through" (in the context of movement). Because of the base verb "gaan", it implies continuation of movement by default, but is also used in case of continuation of an activity. Often, "doorgaan" has the connotation of not "giving up / quitting".

Examples:
- "Het was echt ongelofelijk, na 10 ronden ging hij gewoon op hetzelfde tempo door!"
("It was really unbelievable, after 10 rounds he just kept going at the same pace!")    

- "Vandaag is de 600ste DWOTD! Moeten Sander, Marc en Laura nog doorgaan, of is het genoeg geweest?"
("Today is the 600th DWOTD! Should Sander, Marc and Laura continue, or is enough enough?" Lit. "... or has it been enough?")    

- "Na een korte stop in Leiden gaat deze trein door naar Den Haag en Rotterdam en heeft als eindbestemming Dordrecht."
("After a short stop in Leiden, this train will call at Den Haag and Rotterdam, and terminates at Dordrecht." Lit. "this train goes on to Den Haag and Rotterdam and has as final destination Dordrecht.")

- "Hij blijft maar doorgaan over zijn pasgeboren kind; ik word er gek van!"
("He keeps going on about his newborn child; it's driving me crazy!")

- "Ga zo door!"
("Keep it up! / That's the spirit! / Good job!" Lit. "Go on like that!")    

- "Ga door!"
("Go on! / Don't stop!")    

Related words:
- Doorgaand verkeer: through traffic [noun] [het verkeer, <no plural>].
- Continueren: to continue [verb] [continueerde, gecontinueerd].
- Stoppen: to stop, to quit [verb] [stopte, gestopt].
- Opgeven: to give up, to quit [verb] [gaf op, opgegeven]. Note that "opgeven" can also mean "to register / to sign up".

2. to take place, to be held, to be on
[verb]
[door-gaan, ging door, door-ge-gaan]

"Doorgaan" is also used in the meaning of "to take place"/"to be held" but in the sense that it is the opposite of "to be cancelled".

Examples:
- "Goed nieuws, het feest gaat door!"
("Good news, the party will take place after all!")    

- "Denk je dat het nog doorgaat?"
("Do you think it will happen/take place/be held?")    

- "De wedstrijd tussen Ajax en Feyenoord ging niet door vanwege supportersrellen."
("The match between Ajax and Feyenoord was cancelled due to supporter riots.")

Spoed

rush, hurry, haste, urgency
[noun]
[de spoed, <no plural>]

"Spoed" is used for a job that has to be done quickly. Its meaning is closely related to "haast" ("haste") but is slightly more formal. The latter can be used for people as well as things that need urgent action or have to be concluded fast, e.g. "hij heeft haast" ("he's in a rush") or "the job has to be done fast" ("de klus heeft haast"). "Spoed" cannot be used when referring to people. The related verb is "spoeden" ("to speed, to hurry"). This verb is seldomly used; the verb "haasten" ("to hurry, to make haste") is much more common. 

Examples:
- "De Britse natuurkundige Stephen Hawking werd afgelopen week met spoed in het ziekenhuis opgenomen." 
("The British physicist Stephen Hawking was rushed to the hospital last week.")

- "Met spoed gezocht: drie-kamer appartement in Amsterdam." 
("Urgently looking for apartment with three rooms in Amsterdam.")

- "De coalitiepartijen hielden gisteravond een spoeddebat over de Joint Strike Fighter." 
("The coalition parties held an emergency debate on the Joint Strike Fighter yesterday evening.")

- "Heb je het druk?" -"Ja, ik heb een spoedklus die over twee uur af moet zijn."
("Are you busy?" - "Yes, I have a rush job that needs to be finished in two hours.")

- "Ik heb enorme haast; kun je het kort houden?" 
("I'm in a huge rush; can you keep it brief?")

- "Haast je, anders mis je je trein!" 
("Hurry or you'll miss your train!")

Expressions:
- "Haastige spoed is zelden goed": haste makes waste.

Related words:
- Spoedklus: rush job [noun] [de spoedklus, de spoedklussen].
- Spoeddebat: emergency debate [noun] [het spoeddebat, de spoeddebatten].
- Spoedcursus: intensive/crash course [noun] [de spoedcursus, de spoedcursussen].
- Spoedig: shortly, speedy [adjective/adverb].
- Spoeden: to speed, to hurry [verb] [spoedde, gespoed].
- Haast: hurry [noun] [de haast, <no plural>].

Extra:
The emergency department of a hospital is called "Spoedeisende hulp" (lit.: "Urgent help"). Click here for more.

Overgeven

1. to vomit, to throw up, to be sick
[verb]
[o-ver-ge-ven, gaf o-ver, o-ver-ge-ge-ven]

When the food you've eaten tries to leave your body via your mouth, you can use the word "overgeven" (after having wiped your mouth with a tissue of course ;-) ).

Synonymous to "overgeven" is "braken", or the more informal "kotsen", see the Related words.

Examples:
- "Ik ben misselijk, ik denk dat ik moet overgeven..." 
("I'm (feeling) nauseous...I think I'm going to be sick...")

- "Als je overgeeft, is de kater daarna minder erg." 
("If you throw up, the hangover is less severe afterwards.")

Expressions:
- "Over je nek gaan": to vomit, to be sick. Lit.: to go over one's neck.

Related words:
- Braken: to vomit, to throw up, to be sick [verb] [braakte, gebraakt].
- Kotsen: to puke [verb] [kotste, gekotst].
- Misselijk: sick, nauseous [adjective].

2. to hand over, to pass
[verb]
[o-ver-ge-ven, gaf o-ver, o-ver-ge-ge-ven]

If an object is transferred from one person to another, you can use "overgeven", literally: to give over. A frequently used synonym is "doorgeven": to pass on.

Examples:
- "De sprinter gaf het stokje over aan zijn teamgenoot." 
("The sprinter handed over the stick to his teammate.")

- "Kun je de pindakaas overgeven, alsjeblieft?" 
("Can you hand over the peanut butter, please?")

Related words:
- Geven: to give [verb] [geven, gaf, gegeven].
- Over: over [adverb/preposition].
- Doorgeven: to pass on [verb] [doorgeven, gaf door, doorgegeven].

Example:
- "De liefde voor het vak wordt van generatie op generatie doorgegeven."
("The love for the trade is passed on from generation to generation.")

3. to surrender (oneself), to give (oneself) up
[reflexive verb]
[zich o-ver-ge-ven, gaf zich o-ver, heeft zich o-ver-ge-ge-ven]

In the context of surrendering oneself, the verb becomes reflexive: "zich overgeven".

Examples:
- "Handen omhoog!" - "Niet schieten! Ik geef me over!" 
("Hands up!" - "Don't shoot! I surrender!")

- "Na een lange onderhandeling hebben de piraten zich aan de marine overgegeven." 
("After a long negotiation, the pirates surrendered to the navy.")

Expressions:
- "Zich gewonnen geven": to give up, to surrender.

Related words:
- Winnen: to win [verb] [winnen, won, gewonnen].
- Verliezen: to lose [verb] [verliezen, verloor, verloren].

Example:
- "Waar ben je bang voor, wat heb je te verliezen?"
("What are you afraid of, what have you got to lose?")

- Opgeven: to give up [verb] [opgeven, gaf op, opgegeven].

4. to indulge in, to surrender oneself to
[reflexive verb]
[zich o-ver-ge-ven, gaf zich o-ver, heeft zich o-ver-ge-ge-ven]

In the context of surrendering oneself to something, the verb is also reflexive, with the preposition "aan" added to it: "zich overgeven aan".

Examples:
- "Kate gaf zich over aan haar chocolade verslaving. Na een uur moest ze overgeven..." 
("Kate surrendered herself to her chocolate addiction. After an hour she had to vomit...")

- "Frank geeft zich altijd over aan zijn melancholische buien."
("Frank always indulges in his melancholy moods.")

Related words:
- Toegeven: to admit [verb] [toegeven, gaf toe toegegeven].

Uitleg

explanation, clarification
[noun]
[de uit-leg, <no plural>]

If you don't understand what someone is saying, you'd better ask him/her for an explanation ("uitleg"). The core task of a teacher is "uitleg geven" ("give an explanation") or "uitleggen" ("explain"). You typically explain something to someone (see below for example sentences).

Examples:
- "De oppositie eiste een uitleg van de minister over de torenhoge bonussen van woningcorporaties." 
("The opposition demanded an explanation from the minister on the sky-high bonuses of housing corporations.")

- "Ik snapte helemaal niet wat er aan de hand was totdat zij het me uitlegde." 
("I didn't have a clue what was going on until she explained it to me.")

- "Kun je me uitleggen waarom er lippenstift op je shirt zit? Ga je soms vreemd?" 
("Can you explain to me why you have lipstick on your shirt? Are you cheating on me?")

- "Op de verpakking stond uitgelegd hoe de verf te gebruiken." 
("On the packaging it was explained how to use the paint.")

Expressions:
- "Tekst en uitleg": a full explanation.

Example:
- "Zij gaf me tekst en uitleg over de discussies tijdens de conferentie."
("She gave me a full account of the discussions during the conference.")

Related words:
- Uitleg geven: to give an explanation [verb] [gaf, heeft gegeven].
- Uitleggen: to explain [verb] [legde uit, heeft uitgelegd].
- Snappen: to understand, to grasp [verb] [snapte, heeft gesnapt].
- Begrijpen: to understand [noun] [begreep, heeft begrepen].

Verven

to paint, to dye
[verb]
[ver-ven, verf-de, ge-verfd]

The Dutch don´t distinguish between giving your door a colour (to paint), or your hair (to dye). "Verven" can be used for the both of them. Note that the stem ends with an "f", which changes into a "v" in the infinitive and present plural.

The related noun is "verf": paint. Its plural is "verven".

Examples:
- "Ik heb vandaag de voordeur groen geverfd." 
("I've painted the front door green today.")

- "Weet jij of Frank zijn haar verft?" 
("Do you know if Frank dyes his hair?")

- "Kijk! Die man heeft zijn auto paars geverfd, met roze strepen....beetje vreemd..." 
("Look! That man has painted his car purple, with pink stripes...a bit strange...")

Expressions:
- "Uit de verf komen": to stand out clearly, to get properly off the ground.

Example:
- "Johns presentatie kwam niet uit de verf."
("John's presentation didn't get properly off the ground.")

- "Een verfje nodig hebben": to be in need of a lick of paint.
- "Een rare/vreemde kwast": a strange fellow. Lit.: a strange brush.

Related words:
- Verf: paint [noun] [de verf, de verven].
- (Verf)kwast: (paint)brush [noun] [de (verf)kwast, de (verf)kwasten].
- Verflaag: coat of paint [noun] [de verflaag, de verflagen].
- Kleur: colour [noun] [de kleur, de kleuren].

Vreemd

strange, weird
[adverb/adjective]
[vreemd]

A synonym for "vreemd" is "raar". Other common words based on "vreemd" that you might encounter are "vreemdeling" and "vreemdgaan" (see below).

Examples:
- "Ik kan mijn sleutels nergens vinden... vreemd..." 
("I can't find my keys anywhere... strange...")

- "Ik heb er een vreemd gevoel bij, en jij?"
("It gives me a weird feeling, what about you?")

- "Ik vind het zelf ook een beetje vreemd, maar ik zweer het je, dat is wat ze zei!" 
("I, too, believe it is a bit strange, but I swear, that is what she said!" Note that we say "I swear it to you" :-).)

- "Nu ik weet wat zij hem geflikt heeft, vind ik het niet zo vreemd dat hij is vreemdgegaan!" 
("Now that I know what kind of trick she pulled on him, I don't think it is that strange that he cheated on her!" Note that "vreemdgaan" implies having sex.)

- "Meneer, ik vind dit een vreemde gang van zaken. Volgens mij hadden wij een afspraak!" 
("Sir, this is not the way to do business. I believe we had a deal!" Literally: "I think this is a strange way of 'things happening' ". See DWOTD "Gang".)

- "Een beetje vreemd, maar wel lekker." 
("A bit weird, but tasty (nonetheless)." Marketing slogan in the 90s for the soft drink "Rivella".)

Expressions:
- "Hij is de vreemde eend in de bijt": he is the odd one out, he does not belong here... The noun "bijt" is not used anymore other than in this expression and means "opening in the ice" similar to the Dutch word "wak".
- "Hij is een vreemde vogel": he is a strange fellow. Literally "vogel" translates to "bird".

Related words:
- Raar: strange, weird [adjective/adverb].
- Vreemdgaan: to cheat (on your partner by having sex with somebody else) [verb] [ging vreemd, vreemdgegaan].
- Vreemdeling: stranger, alien [noun] [de vreemdeling, de vreemdelingen].

Flitser

camera flash, speed control
[noun]
[de flit-ser, de flit-sers]

When you drive on the Dutch highways, you'd better listen to the radio to get to know where you can expect speed controls. The machines registrating your speed are called "flitsers" or "flitspalen" ("flash-poles", see picture), derived from the verb "flitsen" ("to flash"); the machine gives a flashlight when it takes a picture of your license plate. You can also find many "flitsers" at traffic lights. These "flitsers" mostly check if you ignore a red traffic light. Besides speed controls on a fixed location, the police also controls speed on locations that vary each day. A "flitser" also denotes a flash on a camera. 

Examples:
- "Er wordt geflitst op de A2 richting Amsterdam bij hectometerpaaltje 34.6." 
("There is a speed control on the A2 in the direction of Amsterdam at hectometerpole 34.6.")

- "Op de A9 staat een mobiel flitsteam bij knooppunt Kleinpolderplein." 
("There is a mobile speed-control team at junction Kleinpolderplein on the A9.")

- "Volgens mij werd ik geflitst toen ik door rood reed... weer een boete." 
("I think that the flashpole registrated my license plate when I went through that red traffic light... another fine."  [Lit.: "I think I was flashed when I drove through red ..."])

- "Als het donker is kun je beter een foto maken met flitser." 
("When it's dark it's better to take a picture using flash.")

Related words:
- Flitsen: to flash [verb] [flitste, geflitst].
- Flitspaal: flash-pole, pole registrating your license plate when you speed or drive through a red traffic light [de flitspaal, de flitspalen].
- Stoplicht: traffic light [het stoplicht, de stoplichten].

Aardig

1. nice, friendly, pleasant, kind
[adjective/adverb]
[aar-dig]

Examples:
- "Heb jij een aardige leidinggevende?" - "Niet echt, maar hij/zij is er toch nooit!" 
("Do you have a friendly supervisor/boss/manager?" - "Not really, but he/she is never there anyway!")

- "Ik vind haar niet zo aardig; ze maakt de hele tijd van die botte opmerkingen!" 
("I don't like her/ I don't think she is that nice; all the time she makes such blunt/curt remarks!")

- "Wat aardig van je dat je me wil helpen!" 
("How nice of you to offer help! / that you want to help me!")

- "Hij glimlacht heel aardig, maar toch vertrouw ik hem niet!"
("He has a charming smile, but still I do not trust him!" Lit. "He smiles friendly"...)

Related words:
- Vriendelijk: friendly, nice [adjective/adverb].

2. fair(ly), pretty, nice(ly)
[adjective/adverb]
[aar-dig]

"Aardig" can also imply that something is substantial, of considerable size, volume, quality etc.

Examples:
- "Volgens mij heeft mijn neef een aardig inkomen, want hij heeft al weer een nieuwe auto gekocht!" 
("I believe my cousin must have a decent income, because he bought yet another car!")

- "Ik heb mijn aandelen verkocht en ondanks de crisis heb ik toch een aardig bedrag verdiend." 
("I sold my shares and despite the crisis, I still earned quite a good sum.")

- "Hij spreekt een aardig woordje over de grens." 
("He speaks quite a few foreign languages.")

- "Het heeft afgelopen nacht aardig hard geregend." 
("Last night it rained quite a bit.")

- "Wat vind je van mijn schilderij?" - "Eh... niet onaardig!" 
("What do you think of my painting?" - "Ehm... not bad!")

- "Mijn tante doet tegenwoordig aan Tae Bo en ze is al aardig wat kilo's kwijt!" 
("My aunt practises Tae Bo these days and she has lost quite some weight already!" Literally "...lost quite a few kilos". Note the use of "aardig wat ...": "quite a few / quite some ...")

Knutselen

to do some home improvement activities, D.I.Y., to tinker away at, to fiddle with 
[verb]
[knut-se-len, knut-sel-de, ge-knut-seld]

There's not really an exact equivalent in English for "knutselen". It varies from a handyman doing some home improvement, Do It Yourself chores, or children fiddling with paper, scissor and crayons...

Examples:
- "Nina heeft een mooie collage geknutseld op school." 
("Nina has made a beautiful collage at school.")

- "Waar is Frank?" - "Hij is aan het knutselen in het tuinhuisje."
("Where is Frank?" - "He's doing some home improvement in the garden house.")

- "Theo heeft het hele weekend besteed aan het knutselen aan zijn fiets." 
("Theo has spent the entire weekend on fiddling with his bike.")

Related words:
- Knippen: to cut, to use a scissor [verb] [knipte, geknipt].
- Plakken: to paste, to stick [verb] [plakte, geplakt].
- Kleuren: to colour [verb] [kleurde, gekleurd].
- Prutser: screw up <person> [noun] [de prutser, de prutsers].

Example:
- "Frank is een totale prutser."
("Frank is a total screw up.")

- Prutsen: to blunder, to be messing things up [verb] [prutste, geprutst].
- Verprutsen: to mess up [verb] [verprutste, verprutst].

Verhullen

to conceal (from), to mask, to cloak/veil
[verb]
[ver-hul-len, ver-hul-de, ver-huld]

"Verhullen" can be used both literally and figuratively.

Examples:
- "Het kasteel was volledig verhuld door de mist." 
("The castle was completely concealed by the mist.")

- "Met niets verhullende foto's choqueerde de krant haar lezers." 
("With revealing pictures, the newspaper shocked its readers.")

- "Het valt me op dat Frank zich vaak in verhullende termen uitdrukt." 
("I have noticed that Frank often expresses himself in masked terms.")

- "De werkzaamheden van de forensische experts werden verhuld voor het publiek door een afscheiding." 
("The work done by the forensic experts was concealed from the audienc by a fence." Contrary to what is practised in the popular tv series, Dutch CSI experts usually put up a tent that covers the crime scene.)

- "Zolang ze maar niet de waarheid verhullen, vind ik het best!" 
("As long as they do not conceal the truth it's fine with me!")

Related words:
- Verbergen: to hide, conceal, cover up [verb] [verborg, verborgen].
- Verhulling: concealment [noun] [de verhulling, de verhullingen].

Example:
- "Hoe noem je zo'n tent die ze gebruiken bij forensisch onderzoek?" - "Ik weet het niet, een verhullingstent??"
("What do you call one of those tents that they use when doing forensic research?" - "I don't know, a concealment tent??")

- Verstoppen: to hide [verb] [verstopte, verstopt].

Veilig

safe, secure
[adverb/adjective]
[vei-lig]

"Veilig" denotes a situation that is free from danger. It's the opposite of "gevaarlijk" ("dangerous"), or the more informal word with the same meaning "link". The corresponding noun is "veiligheid" ("safety"). As in English, you especially come across the word when people refer to traffic, travel advice to certain countries, or sex.

Examples:
- "Hij voelde zich niet veilig op dat verlaten treinstation." 
("He didn't feel safe at that abandoned train station.")

- "De soldaten zijn weer veilig (en wel) thuisgekomen." 
("The soldiers have returned home safe (and sound).")

- "Het is niet heel veilig om door Yemen te reizen, omdat er geregeld mensen worden ontvoerd." 
("It's not so safe to travel through Yemen, since people are kidnapped there frequently.")

- "Veiligheid boven alles! Maak alstublieft uw veiligheidsriem vast." 
("Safety first! Please fasten your seat belt.")

- "Hij heeft zijn hele werkend leven geld opzij gezet om zijn pensioen veilig te stellen." 
("He has put aside money his entire working life to secure his pension.")

- "Veilig Verkeer Nederland is een organisatie die zich richt op veiligheid op de weg." 
("Safe Traffic Netherlands is an organisation that aims for road safety.")

- "Je kunt vervelende SOA's oplopen door onveilige seks." 
("You can get nasty STD's through unsafe sex." Note that SOA abbreviates 'Seksueel Overdraagbare Aandoeningen', corresponding to 'Sexually Transmittable Diseases'.)

Related words:
- Onveilig: unsafe, dangerous [adverb/adjective].
- Gevaarlijk: dangerous [adverb/adjective].
- Veiligheid: safety [noun] [de veiligheid, <no plural>].
- Veilig stellen: to secure [verb] [stelde veilig, heeft veilig gesteld].

Flessenlikker

bottle scraper
[noun]
[de fles-sen-lik-ker, de fles-sen-lik-kers]

"Flessenlikker" is composed of "fles" and "likker, which respectively translate to "bottle" and "licker", hence "bottle licker". The "flessenlikker" is actually a kitchen tool, which has become a bit obsolete nowadays. A "flessenlikker" is/was used to scrape a bottle of yogurt or pudding completely empty. A nice example of Dutch economy :-)

Instead of bottles, pudding and yogurt comes in packs now. Most youngsters will have never heard of a "flessenlikker"...

Examples:
- "Waar is de flessenlikker? Deze fles yoghurt is bijna leeg." 
("Where is the bottle scraper? This bottle of yogurt is almost empty.")

- "Heb jij de flessenlikker gezien?" - "Een flessenlikker, wat ouderwets!" 
("Have you seen the bottle scraper?" - "A bottle scraper, that's old-fashioned!")

- "De flessenlikker...een geniale uitvinding! Jammer dat er geen flessen meer gebruikt worden voor yoghurt of pudding..." 
("The bottle scraper...a brilliant invention! Too bad that bottles are no longer used for yogurt or pudding...")

Related words:
- Fles: bottle [noun] [de fles, de flessen].
- Likken: to lick [verb] [likte, gelikt].

Example:
- "De hond likte de hand van zijn baasje."
("The dog licked his master´s hand.")

- Schrapen: to scrape [verb] [schraapte, geschraapt].

Expressions:
- "De keel schrapen": to clear one´s throat. Lit.: to scrape one's throat.

Extra:
For more information on the bottle scraper, see Wikipedia.

Dom

dumb, stupid, silly, ignorant
[adverb/adjective]
[dom]

"Dom" can be used for the opposite of smart or intelligent ("slim" or "intelligent" in Dutch) and to describe naive or foolish people or behaviour. The comparative of "dom" is "dommer", its superlative is "domst".

Examples:
- "Hij is geen genie, maar ik zou ook niet willen zeggen dat hij dom is ." 
("He's not a genius, but I wouldn't want to say he's stupid either.")

- "Hij heeft uit woede zijn computer uit het raam gegooid; wat een domme actie!" 
("Out of anger he has thrown his computer out of the window; what a stupid thing to do!")

- "Wat is de domste opmerking die je ooit hebt gemaakt?" 
("What's the stupidest remark you've ever made?")

- "Hij is niet zo dom als hij eruit ziet." 
("He's not as silly as he looks.")

Expressions:
- "Dom blondje": dumb blonde.

Example:
- "Zij is echt geen dom blondje hoor, ze is cum laude afgestudeerd."
("She's not a dumb blonde you know, she graduated cum laude.")

Related words:
- Slim: smart [adverb/adjective].
- Intelligent: intelligent [adverb/adjective].
- Naïef: naive [adverb/adjective].

Extra:
"Dom" with a capital d has a totally different meaning; it refers to a cathedral. When Dutch people mention "De Dom" or "De Domtoren" ("the cathedral tower"), they are talking about the tower of the cathedral in Utrecht, located on Dom Square ("Domplein"). The immense nave of this cathedral was destroyed by a tornado in 1674 and never rebuilt; the Dom tower remains one of the main characteristics of the city of Utrecht, which is called the "Domstad" ("Cathedral city") for this reason. Check the (English) website www.domkerk.nl for more information on the church. Every inhabitant of Utrecht knows the fifties' classic "Als ik boven op de Dom sta.." ("If I'm standing on top of the Dom church.."). Check the Utrecht dialect lyrics here.

Klokslag

stroke of a clock
[noun]
[de klok-slag, de klok-sla-gen]

"Klokslag" is composed of "klok" and "slag", which respectively translate to "clock" and "strike/stroke/blow. "Klokslag" is therefore the stroke of a clock.

You will encounter "klokslag" mostly though in the idiom "klokslag [t] uur" or "klokslag half [t]", where t can be any hour of the day. It is best translated with "at exactly [t] o'clock".

The English idiom "at the stroke of midnight" cannot be literally translated with "klokslag middernacht". This would be "precies om middernacht".

Examples:
- "Dat is gek, het is nu drie uur, en ik hoor vier klokslagen..." 
("That's funny, it's three o'clock now, and I hear four strokes now...")

- "Om klokslag zes uur zal een zwarte auto het geld oppikken. Volg deze niet." 
("At exactly six o'clock a black car will pick up the money. Do not follow.")

- "Precies om middernacht verandert Frank in een kikker." 
("At the stroke of midnight, Frank will change into a frog.")

Expressions:
- "Haastige spoed is zelden goed": haste makes waste.

Related words:
- Horloge: watch [noun] [het horloge, de horloges].
- Wijzer: pointer [noun] [de wijzer, de wijzers].

Example:
- "Als de grote en de kleine wijzer samenvallen, is het twaalf uur."
("If the hour and the minute pointer are aligned, it's twelve o'clock.")

- Klok: clock [noun] [de klok, de klokken].
- Slag: strike, blow [noun] [de slag, de slagen].

Dubben

to be in doubt, to have doubts
[verb]
[dub-ben, dub-de, ge-dubd]

"Dubben" has nothing to do with "dubbing a movie", which would be "nasynchroniseren" in Dutch. ("Dubbing" is, by the way, never done in the Netherlands, except for some commercials and children's movies, but in case of the latter you can still see the original if you want). "Dubben" is a bit informal and usually does not imply a strong doubt.

Examples:
- "Heeft Frank al een flatscreen gekocht?" - "Misschien, maar volgens mij dubt hij er nog over." 
("Has Frank already bought a flatscreen tv?" - "Maybe, but I think he is still in doubt.")

- "Sander is aan het dubben of hij wel of niet een auto moet huren in Engeland." 
("Sander has doubts whether or not to rent a car in England.")

- "Waar wacht je op?" - "Niks, ik dub nog een beetje, dat is alles." 
("What are you waiting for?" -"Nothing, I'm still a bit in doubt, that is all.")

- "Anne-Liesbeth heeft lang gedubd of ze verlof zou nemen, maar uiteindelijk heeft ze het gedaan." 
("For a long time Anne-Liesbeth was in doubt whether or not to take leave, but eventually she did it." Note the relationship between the Dutch word "verlof" and the English "furlough". Also note that Dutch people often say "eventually" when they mean "possibly" or "potentially" (which can translate to "eventueel" in Dutch).)

Related words:
- Twijfelen: to be in doubt [verb] [twijfelde, getwijfeld].
- Aarzelen: to hesitate [verb] [aarzelde, geaarzeld].
- Betwijfelen: to doubt (something) [verb] [betwijfeld, betwijfeld].

Example:
- "Zal Frank vandaag op tijd zijn?" - "Nou, ik betwijfel het ten zeerste!"
("Will Frank be on time today?" - "Well, I seriously doubt it!")

Geniaal

brilliant, highly-gifted
[adverb/adjective]
[ge-ni-aal]

"Geniaal" is linked to "genius" ("genie" in Dutch) and has always been used in the sense of "highly-gifted" people. A synonym of "geniaal" is "hoogbegaafd" (literally: "highgifted"). You can also use the word to describe ingenious ideas, events, people, jokes, food, places etc..

Examples:
- "De nieuwe show van die cabaretier is geniaal, je moet hem zien!" 
("The new show by that cabaret performer is brilliant, you have to see it!")

- "Mensen met een IQ van boven de 148 worden beschouwd als geniaal." 
("People with an IQ of over 148 are considered to be highly-gifted." Note that in this sentence, you can replace "geniaal" by "hoogbegaafd".)

- "Heb je de laatste tijd nog iets leuks gelezen?" "-Ja, 'Saturday' van Ian McEwan, echt een geniaal boek!"
(-"Have you read anything fun lately?" "-Yes, 'Saturday' by Ian McEwan, a truly brilliant book!")

- "Clifton is een geniaal strand in Kaapstad." 
("Clifton is a fantastic beach in Cape Town.")

- "De Graaf van Monte Christo bedacht een geniaal ontsnappingsplan." 
("The Count of Monte Christo came up with a brilliant plan of escape.")

Related words:
- Hoogbegaafd: highly gifted [adjective, adverb].
- Genie: genius [noun] [het genie, de genieën].

Example:
- "Vind je Bill Gates een genie van onze tijd?"
("Do you think Bill Gates is a genius of our time?")

- Briljant: 1. brilliant [adverb/adjective]; 2. diamond [noun] [de briljant, de briljanten].

Extra:
Note that the plural of "genie" gets an extra "e" in the plural "de genieën". This is due to the fact that the emphasis of the singular "genie" is on the last syllable. The same goes for instance for "idee" ("idea") which becomes "ideeën" but not for "kolonie" ("colony") where emphasis is not put on the last syllable but on the middle one: "ko-lo-nie". Therefore, the plural of "kolonie" is "koloniën".

Hilarisch

hilarious
[adjective]
[hi-la-risch]

"Hilarisch" is used the same way in Dutch as "hilarious" in English, yet it seems we only use it when something is really hilarious (as in "extremely funny"). When something is "very funny" it is more common to say "(heel) erg grappig" ("really very funny"), "ontzettend grappig" ("incredibly funny") etc.

Note that one pronounces the ending '-isch' as '-ies'.

Examples:
- "Het is hilarisch om te zien hoe sommige mensen afgaan bij de Idols audities." 
("It's hilarious to see how some people humiliate themselves at the Idols auditions.")

- "Hilarisch? Nee hilarisch zou ik het niet willen noemen, eerder zielig." 
("Hilarious? No, I wouldn't call it hilarious, I'd rather call it pathetic.")

- "Hoe was de comedyshow in het Comedy Theater?"- "Erg goed, sommige van die gasten zijn echt hilarisch!" 
("How was the comedy show in 'Comedy Theater'?" - "Very good, some of those guys are really hilarious!")

Expressions:
- "Lachen, gieren, brullen": literally "laughing, screaming, roaring" this is used to say you had a really good laugh. Often also used ironically.

Example:
- "Hoe was de nieuwe film met Mr. Bean?"- "Nou, het was weer lachen, gieren, brullen. Maar niet heus."
("How was the new Mr. Bean movie?" - "Well, once again it was really funny. Not...")

- "Buikpijn hebben van het lachen": literally "to have stomachache because of laughing" you say this when you really have or had to laugh hard because of something.

Related words:
- Grappig: funny, amusing [adjective/adverb].
- Komisch: comical, funny [adjective/adverb].

Lijf

body
[noun]
[het lijf, de lij-ven]

When referring to their "body", most people will use the word "lichaam" and not "lijf". "Lijf" is a slightly more old-fashioned version of "lichaam". However, the word can still be heard very often since it is used in an abundance of expressions.

Examples:
- "Hij heeft een gespierd lijf dankzij al die krachttrainingen." 
("He has a muscular body thanks to all those power trainings.")

- "Heb je het tijdschrift "Lijf en Leven" (zie plaatje) wel eens gelezen?" 
("Have you ever read the magazine "Body and Life" (see picture)?")

Expressions:
- "Op het lijf geschreven zijn": to be just right, to be made for.

Example:
- "Deze baan is haar op het lijf geschreven."
("This job is cut out for her.")

- "Iemand tegen het lijf lopen": to bump into someone.

Example:
- "Tijdens de Amsterdam Fashion Week ben ik verschillende BN'ers tegen het lijf gelopen."
("I ran into several famous Dutch people during the Amsterdam Fashion Week.")

- "Iemand te lijf gaan": to fly at someone.

Example:
- "De voetbalfans gingen elkaar met stokken te lijf na de 1-1 gelijkspel."
("The soccer fans attacked each other with sticks after the 1-1 draw.")

- "Het heeft niets om het lijf": there's nothing to it, it's not important. Note that this phrase can also be used in a literal sense "to have nothing around the body", i.e. to be naked.

Example:
- "De speech van de politicus had niets om het lijf; het was een opeenhoping van chichés."
("The speech of the politician was useless; it was a pile-up of chlichés.")

- "In levenden lijve": in person, alive.

Example:
- "Op Koninginnedag kun je de Koninklijke familie in levenden lijve zien."
("On Queen's Day you can see the Royal familiy in person.")

- "Iets aan den lijve ondervinden": to experience something personally, to live through something.

Example:
- "Hij heeft aan den lijve ondervonden wat het is om honger te hebben."
("He has (personally) experienced what it means to be hungry.")

Related words:
- Lichaam: body [noun] [het lichaam, de lichamen].

Extra:
The government provides temporary accomodation to victims of domestic violence ("huiselijk geweld") in so-called "Blijf van mijn lijf-huizen" ("Hands off my body-houses").  All houses are listed on the website http://www.huiselijkgeweld.nl/.

Falen

to fail
[verb]
[fa-len, faal-de, ge-faald]

"Falen" - to fail - is the opposite of "slagen": to succeed. However, in the context of failing an exam, you wouldn't use "falen" but "zakken (voor)", see the Related words.

Sometimes you can translate the infinitive form of the verb "falen", when used as a noun, with "failure", see the third example.

Examples:
- "Ik dacht dat het een eitje was, maar ik heb jammerlijk gefaald..." 
("I thought it was a piece of cake, but I failed miserably...")

- "Ik waardeer je inzet, maar als je nog een keer faalt, moet ik je ontslaan." 
("I appreciate your effort, but if you fail one more time, I'm going to have to fire you.")

- "Het falen van de regering is een ramp voor het land." 
("The government's failure is a disaster for the country.")

- "James Bond heeft geen last van faalangst." 
("James Bond is not afraid of failing." Lit.: "...does not have fear of failure." Note: the idiom "last hebben van" translates literally to "to have burden of" / "to be burdened by".)

Related words:
- Faalangst: fear of failure [noun] [de faalangst, de faalangsten].
- Zakken (voor): to fail <usually an exam> [verb] [zakte (voor), gezakt (voor)].

Example:
- "Hoe vaak ben je al gezakt voor je rijexamen?"
("How many times have you failed your driving test (already)?")

- Mislukken: to fail, to not succeed [verb] [mislukte, mislukt].
- Lukken: to succeed [verb] [lukte, gelukt].

Waarderen

1. to appreciate, to value, to esteem, to rate
[verb]
[waar-de-ren, waar-deer-de, ge-waar-deerd]

Here "waarderen" is used when you want to express appreciation or value/esteem something or somebody. You can also use "waarderen" in case of monetary value, see translation 2 below. Read the Extra below on what the equivalent of American-English "I appreciate it" could be in Dutch.

Examples:
- "Ik waardeer het enorm dat je vandaag gekomen bent." 
("I very much appreciate you being here today." Lit.: "...  that you have come today.")

- "Ik kan een sigaar op zijn tijd wel waarderen." 
("I appreciate (smoking) a cigar every so now and then.")

- "Het spijt me, maar uw bijdrage aan deze discussie wordt niet gewaardeerd." 
("I'm sorry, but your contribution to this discussion is not appreciated.")

- "Helaas moeten we vandaag afscheid nemen van een bijzonder gewaardeerde collega." 
("Unfortunately, today we have to say goodbye to a highly esteemed colleague.")

- "Over het algemeen voel ik me op mijn werk ondergewaardeerd."
("In general I feel undervalued at work.")

Related words:
- Op prijs stellen: to appreciate [verb] [stel op prijs, op prijs gesteld].

Example:
- "Uw aanwezigheid wordt niet op prijs gesteld."
("Your presence is not appreciated.")

Extra:
Sometimes people ask us how to say "I appreciate it" in Dutch. You can use the verb "waarderen" but mind that its usage is quite formal, i.e. when you say "ik waardeer het" or "het wordt gewaardeerd dat..." then you are making a bit of a strong statement, but it is the thing to say when you seriously want to thank somebody. If you however want to informally say "I appreciate it" or when the circumstances do not mandate a formal or very strong statement of appreciation, it is better just to say thank you (see the DWOTD "Dankjewel"), or you can use one of the following phrases:

- "(Dat is) tof van je": that is nice of you [informal].
- "Dat is (bijzonder) aardig/vriendelijk van je/u": that is (really) nice of you.

2. to value, to estimate, to appraise, to rate, to mark
[verb]
[waar-de-ren, waar-deer-de, ge-waar-deerd]

Here "waarderen" is used in the context of monetary value, or when you want to rate the quality of something. There is a strong link with the noun "waarde": value.

Examples:
- "De film 'Gran Torino' wordt door de recensenten hoog gewaardeerd." 
("The film 'Gran Torino' is highly rated by the critics.")

- "Nederlandse huizen zijn over het algemeen overgewaardeerd en het wordt tijd dat de prijzen gaan dalen!" 
("In general Dutch houses are overvalued and it is about time that the prices will drop!")

Related words:
- Waarde: value [noun] [de waarde, de waarden]. Note that the word is used for both "monetary" and "moral" value.
- Prijs: price, cost [noun] [de prijs, de prijzen].
- Taxatie: assessment, appraisal (of an object) [noun] [de taxatie, de taxaties].

Heksenketel

chaos, pandemonium
[noun]
[de hek-sen-ke-tel, de hek-sen-ke-tels]

"Heksenketel" is composed of "heks" and "ketel", which respectively translate to "witch" and "cauldron/kettle". "Heksenketel" therefore literally translates to "witches' cauldron". However...unless you're reading a Harry Potter book, you will only hear "heksenketel" being used in its figurative meaning: a place or situation with (lots of) confusion and disorder: a chaos or pandemonium.

Examples:
- "Het was vanochtend een heksenketel op de Nederlandse wegen." 
("It was chaos on the Dutch roads this morning.")

- "Tijdens de Drie Dwaze Dagen is het altijd een heksenketel in de Bijenkorf." 
("During the Three Mad Days it's always a pandemonium at the Bijenkorf department store.")

- "Na de wedstrijd Ajax-Feyenoord was het weer een enorme heksenketel rond het stadion." 
("After the Ajax-Feyenoord match it was a big chaos again around the stadium.")

Expressions:
- "Heksen": lit.: to perform witchcraft [verb] [hekste, gehekst]. Fig.: to do the impossible.

Example:
- "Je moet als de wiedeweerga je koffer in gaan pakken, anders halen we het vliegtuig niet" - "Rustig, rustig, ik kan niet heksen!"
("You have to pack your suitcase on the double, otherwise we'll miss the plane" - "Slow down, slow down, I can't do the impossible!")

Related words:
- Heks: witch [noun] [de heks, de heksen].
- Ketel: cauldron, kettle [noun] [de ketel, de ketels].
- Bezem: broom [noun] [de bezem, de bezems].

Example:
- "De bezem van Harry Potter is een Nimbus 2000...de snelste in zijn soort..."
("Harry Potter's broom is a Nimbus 2000...the fastest of its kind...")

- Heksenjacht: witch hunt [noun] [de heksenjacht, de heksenjachten].
- Hekserij: witchcraft [noun] [de hekserij, <no plural>].

Extra:
The Harry Potter books are immensly popular in the Netherlands too. Except for Harry, Voldemort and Hagrid, the translated names of the characters (and other things) differ quite a lot from the original English names. Here's a brief overview:
- Harry Potter : Harry Potter
- Ron Weasly : Ron Wemel
- Hermione Granger : Hermelien Griffel
- Hagrid : Hagrid.
- Albus Dumbledore : Albus Perkamentus
- Voldemort : Voldemort
- Severus Snape : Severus Sneep
- Draco Malfoy : Draco Malfidus
- Gryffindor : Griffoendor
- Slytherin : Zwadderich
For an extensive overview, check this link.

Detail

detail
[noun]
[het de-tail, de de-tails]

The only detail worth mentioning here is the pronunciation of the word "detail". Due to the "ai" sound, the "l" kind of turns into a "j". Listen to Marc giving it a try as soon as the audio is available :-)

Examples:
- "Ach man, dat zijn toch allemaal details, waar maak je je druk om!" 
("Man, those are all just details, what are you so worried about!")

- "Sander is gek op al de details die oude Amsterdamse huizen hebben." 
("Sander really likes all the details that old Amsterdam houses have.")

- "Is Sarah in Oslo of in Lillehammer?" - "Wat maakt het uit, dat is slechts een detail!"
("Is Sarah in Oslo or in Lillehammer?" - "Whatever, that's just a detail!")

- "Hij richt zich altijd op de technische details van een oplossing en nooit op het grotere plaatje." 
("He always focuses on the technical details of a solution and never on the bigger picture.")

- "Wie, Frank? Nee die geeft inderdaad niet om details, dat kun je wel zien aan zijn voorkomen." 
("Who, Frank? No, clearly he doesn't care about details, you can tell from his appearance.")

Expressions:
- "In grote lijnen": on the whole, broadly speaking.
- "Oog hebben voor detail": to have an eye for detail.
- "High level": high level. One of the many English management expressions that have been incorporated into Dutch office jargon.

Related words:
- Gedetailleerd: detailed [adjective/adverb].
- Helicopterview: helicopter view [noun].
- Mierenneuken: to nitpick [verb] [mierenneukte, gemierenneukt].

Verklikken

to betray, to give away, to tattle
[verb]
[ver-klik-te, ver-klikt]

"Verklikken" or "klikken" is to give away information about a person to someone else. The informer is called a "verklikker". The verb is often used when it concerns petty tale-telling by children. More serious betrayal is called "verraad", the person who betrays is a "verrader" ("traitor"), and the verb is "verraden" ("to betray"). A synonymous verb which is slightly more informal than "verraden" is "verlinken". Another verb which also means to reveal something is "verklappen". Unlike "verklikken", "verraden", and "verlinken", this verb doesn't necessarily have a negative connotation.

Examples:
- "Het meisje verklikte tegen haar moeder dat haar broertje de koektrommel had leeg gegeten." 
("The girl told her mother that her brother emptied the cookie box.")

- "Haar beste vriendin gaat vreemd met haar man; ze voelt zich verraden." 
("Her best friend cheats on her with her husband; she feels betrayed.")

- "In de Tweede Wereldoorlog werden Joodse families soms verraden door hun eigen buren."
("During the Second World War, Jewish families were sometimes betrayed by their own neighbours.")

- "De crimineel verlinkte zijn handlangers in ruil voor strafvermindering." 
("The criminal gave away his accomplices in exchange for a reduction of his sentence.")

- "Je mag niemand verklappen wat we gaan doen, het is een verrassing." 
("You cannot tell anyone what we will do, it's a surprise.")

- "In 2002 werd de kliklijn "Meld misdaad anoniem" landelijk ingevoerd." 
("In 2002, the telephone number "Report crime anonymously" was introduced in the entire country." Please note that "kliklijn" means "squeal-line".)

Related words:
- "[Iemand] verlinken": to betray [someone], to disclose against [verb] [verlinkte, verlinkt].
- "[Iets of iemand] verraden": to betray [something or someone] [verb] [verried, verraden].
- "Verraad": betrayal [noun] [het verraad, no plural].
- "Verrader": betrayer [noun] [de verrader, de verraders].
- "Verklikker": informer [noun] [de verklikker, de verklikkers].
- "[Iets] klikken": to reveal [something], to tell [verb] [klikte, verklikt].
- "Kliklijn": phonenumber that you can call if you want to reveal secret information [noun] [de kliklijn, de kliklijnen].

Tegenvallen

to be disappointing
[verb]
[te-gen-val-len, viel te-gen, is te-gen-ge-val-len]

"Tegenvallen" is used  when something does not answer to one's positive expectations. The related noun is "tegenvaller": disappointment/setback. When something is very disappointing, you can add a number of adverbs, see Extra.

You may often see a construction in the third person with an objective pronoun, for example: "Het valt me tegen dat...", which translates to "It's disappointing to me that.../It disappoints me that...".

The opposite is the verb "meevallen" and the noun "meevaller", which is used when something does not meet one's negative expectations.

Examples:
- "Het miezert weer vandaag...dat valt tegen." 
("It drizzles again today...that's disappointing.")

- "De beurskoersen vallen weer behoorlijk tegen deze week." 
("The stock exchange indexes are pretty disappointing again this week.")

- "Het valt me vies tegen dat ik een bekeuring heb gekregen voor 3 km te hard rijden." 
("It really disappoints me that I've had a speeding ticket for driving 3 km/h too fast.")

Related words:
- Teleurstellen: to disappoint [verb] [stelde teleur, teleurgesteld].
- Teleurstelling: disappointment [noun] [de teleurstelling, de teleurstellingen].

Extra:
When something is very disappointing, you can add a number of adverbs. We've given the literal translation:
- erg tegenvallen: to be very disappointing.
- echt tegenvallen: to be really disappointing.
- zwaar tegenvallen: to be heavily disappointing.
- bijzonder tegenvallen: to be especially disappointing.
- vies tegenvallen: to be dirty disappointing.
- behoorlijk tegenvallen: to be quite disappointing.

Makkie

piece of cake
[noun]
[een mak-kie, <no plural>]

"Makkie" means "piece of cake" and originates from the adjective "gemakkelijk" or "makkelijk" which means "easy". A synonym of "makkie" is "eitje".

Examples:
- "Mijn oma is verslaafd aan sudoku's, zelfs de moeilijkste puzzel is een makkie voor haar." 
("My grandmother's hooked on sudoku's, even the most difficult puzzle is a piece of cake for her.")

- "Je hebt die presentatie al twee keer eerder gedaan, het wordt een makkie voor je!" 
("You've already given that presentation twice before, it will be a piece of cake for you!")

- "Mijn rijexamen was echt een makkie omdat ik veel had geoefend in de auto van mijn vriend." 
("My driving exam was a real piece of cake because I practised a lot in the car of my boyfriend.")

- "Zit niet zo te stressen, het wordt een makkie om dat vliegtuig te halen, we hebben tijd zat." 
("Don't stress, it will be a piece of cake to catch that plane, we have plenty of time.")

- "Het schot op het doel van Ronaldo was een makkie voor keeper Edwin van der Sar." 
("De shot on goal by Ronaldo was a piece of cake for goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.")

Expressions:
- "Eitje": piece of cake.
- "Fluitje van een cent": piece of cake.
- "Inkoppertje": piece of cake.
- "Een koud kunstje": a piece of cake [expression].

Related words:
- (Ge)makkelijk: easy [adjective/adverb].

Olifant

elephant
[noun]
[de o-li-fant, de o-li-fan-ten]

Elephants do not belong to the domestic fauna of the Netherlands :-) You can only find them in the Dutch Zoos...

Examples:
- "Olifant Annabel is afgelopen zondag overleden nadat zij in een gracht gevallen was." 
("Elephant Annabel passed away last Sunday after falling into a ditch.")

- "Weet jij het verschil tussen een Afrikaanse en een Indiase olifant?" 
("Do you know the difference between an African and an Indian elephant?")

- "Een olifant heeft een lange slurf, slagtanden en grote oren." 
("An elephant has a long trunk, tusks and big ears.")

- "Ik ben zo high als een papegaai...ik zie allemaal roze olifantjes..." 
("I'm as high as a bird...I see pink little elephants everywhere..." Lit.: "I'm as high as a parrot...")

- "En toen kwam er een olifant met een lange snuit en die blies het verhaaltje uit..." 
("Then came an elephant with a long snout who blew out the story..." Line to finish a children's bed time story with.)

Expressions:
- "Van een mug een olifant maken": to make a mountain (out) of a molehill, to exaggerate. Lit.: "to make an elephant out of a mosquito".

Related words:
- Slurf: trunk [noun] [de slurf, de slurven].
- Slagtand: tusk [noun] [de slagtand, de slagtanden].
- Mug: mosquito [noun] [de mug, de muggen].

Ouder

You will encounter "ouder" in the meaning of "parent" (see 1.) or as the comparative degree of "oud" (see 2.)

1. parent
[noun]
[de ou-der, de ou-ders]

Examples:
- "Haar moeder is een alleenstaande ouder." 
("Her mother is a single parent.")

- "Beide ouders dienen bij het gesprek aanwezig te zijn." 
("Both parents are required to be present during the consult.")

- "Zij is een kind van gescheiden ouders." 
("She is a child of divorced parents.")

- "De ouders van je ouders worden 'grootouders' genoemd." 
("The parents of your parents are called 'grand parents'.")

Expressions:
- "Aanstaande ouders": expectant parents.

Example:
- "De aanstaande ouders begonnen al aardig zenuwachtig te worden."
("The expectant parents were starting to get pretty nervous." Note the use of "aardig": it can mean both "nice/friendly" or "quite/pretty".)

Related words:
- Kind: child [noun] [het kind, de kinderen].
- Ouderschap: parenthood [noun] [het ouderschap, <no plural>].

Example:
- "Ik neem al mijn ouderschapsverlof op"
("I'm taking all my parental leave." Note that maternity leave is something different: "zwangerschapsverlof".)

2. older
[comparative degree of "oud"]
[ou-der]

"Ouder" is also the comparative degree of the adjective "oud": old. A related noun derived from "ouder" is "oudere", but you will in fact only encounter it in its plural form "ouderen": elderly people.

Examples:
- "Ik ben ouder dan mijn zusje, maar ik ben niet de oudste." 
("I'm older than my (baby) sister, but I am not the oldest.")

- "Ik had mijn nicht al een tijd niet meer gezien; zij ziet er nu echt een stuk ouder uit!" 
("I hadn't seen my cousin for quite some time; she really looks a lot older now!" Note that there a different words in Dutch for male or female cousins: "neef" and "nicht". A common mistake Dutch people make is to talk about their nephew or niece instead; this is because these are also called "neef" and "nicht" in Dutch. And while I am on the topic, note that "nicht" is also slang for a homosexual.)

Related words:
- Ouderdom: old age [noun] [de ouderdom, <no plural>].
- Ouderen: elderly people [noun, plural] [de ouderen].

Example:
- "Georganiseerde busreizen zijn populair bij ouderen."
("Organized bus tours are popular with elderly people / senior citizens.")

Wennen

to get used to, to grow accustomed to, to acclimatize  
[verb]
[wen-de, ge-wend]

"Wennen" is related to getting used to something new, e.g. new surroundings, new people, a new job. "Wennen" is usually followed by the preposition "aan" (getting used to something). Don't mix it up with "wenden" (wendde, gewend), which means "to turn".

Examples:
- "Ik kan maar niet wennen aan het weer in Nederland; het lijkt zes maanden per jaar te miezeren." 
("I just can't get used to the weather in the Netherlands; it seems to drizzle for six months a year.")

- "Zij is het gewend om 's ochtends koffie te drinken; zonder koffie heeft ze een enorm ochtendhumeur."  ("It's her habit to drink coffee in the morning; without coffee she is in a very bad morning mood.")

- "En, ben je al een beetje gewend aan je nieuwe baan?" 
("So, have you grown accustomed to your new job yet?")

- "Het is wel even wennen dat je nu geen auto meer hebt en het openbaar vervoer moet nemen, niet?" -"Ach, alles went".
("It must be quite a change now that you no longer have a car and have to use public transport, isn't it?" - "Well, you can get used to everything.")

Expressions:
- "Alles went behalve een vent": you can get used to anything except for a man.

Related words:
- Wenden: to turn [verb] [wendde, gewend].
- Zich wenden tot: to turn to (someone, something) [verb] [wendde, gewend].

Miezeren

to drizzle, to mizzle
[verb]
[mie-zer-de, ge-mie-zerd]

As is the case with the verb "regenen", you can only use "miezeren" in the third person singular: "het miezert". A common synonym for "miezeren" is "motregenen", see the Related words.

Examples:
- "Als ik naar buiten kijk, dan word ik niet echt vrolijk; het miezert alleen maar." 
("Looking outside doesn't really cheer me up; all it does is drizzle." Lit. "when I look outside, I don't exactly get happy...")

- "Wat wordt het voor weer morgen?" - "Volgens mij gaat het de hele dag miezeren." 
("What will the weather be like tomorrow?" - "I think it will drizzle all day long.")

- "Hoe was je vakantie?" - "Verschrikkelijk, het heeft twee weken gemiezerd en de laatste week kwam het met bakken uit de hemel." 
("How was your holiday?" - "Terrible, it drizzled for two weeks and the last week it poured." Lit.: "it came out of the sky with bins/tanks/containers.")

Related words:
- Miezerig: drizzly, or: tiny, puny, measly [adjective].
- Regen: rain [noun] [de regen, <no plural>].
- Motregen: drizzle [noun] [de motregen, <no plural>].

Example:
- "Ik heb een hekel aan motregen; het regent niet echt, en toch word je helemaal nat."
("I hate drizzle; it does not really rain, and still you get completely wet.")

- Motregenen: to drizzle/mizzle [verb] [motregende, gemotregend].

Prutser

incompetent blunderer, screw up <person>
[noun]
[de prut-ser, de prut-sers]

A "prutser" is a person who screws or messes things up. The related verb is "prutsen", which translates to "to blunder". You may also say the verb "verprutsen", which translates to "to mess up". The difference with "prutsen" is that "prutsen" indicates that you're still in the middle of messing things up, while "verprutsen" is more focussed on reaching a messed up state in the end.

Examples:
- "Frank is een totale prutser." 
("Frank is a total screw up.")

- "Afgelopen dinsdag is Gmail getroffen door een wereldwijde storing."  - "De prutsers..."
("Gmail was hit by a worldwide breakdown last Tuesday." - "Screw ups...")

Expressions:
- "Twee linkerhanden hebben": to have two left feet. Lit.: to have two left hands

Related words:
- Prutsen: to blunder, to be messing things up [verb] [prutste, geprutst].
- Verprutsen: to mess up [verb] [verprutste, verprutst].

Example:
- "Ik heb mijn tentamen helemaal verprutst."
("I've totally screwed up my exam.")

- Lutser: combination of a loser and a "prutser":-) [noun] [de lutser, de lutsers].
- Kluns: clumsy person [noun] [de kluns, de klunzen].
- Klojo: f*ck/screw up (person) [noun] [de klojo, de klojo's].

Schuldig

guilty
[adjective]
[schul-dig]

"Schuldig" translates to "guilty". The related noun is "schuld", which translates to "guilt" or "debt".

If you're "onschuldig", you're not guilty or innocent.

Examples:
- "Ik voel me schuldig omdat ik Sara's verjaardag vergeten ben." 
("I feel guilty because I forgot Sara's birthday." Lit.: "I feel myself guilty...")

- "De verdachte werd schuldig bevonden aan moord." 
("The suspect was found guilty of murder.")

- "Wie heeft er een scheetje gelaten?" - "Oeps...schuldig..." 
("Who farted?" - "Oops...guilty...")

Expressions:
- "Het antwoord schuldig (moeten) blijven": to not be able to give an answer.
- "Iemand iets schuldig/verschuldigd zijn": to owe someone something, to be in someone's debt.

Example:
- "Hoeveel ben ik u schuldig?" - "EUR 9,80."
("How much do I owe you?" - "EUR 9,80")

- "Een slecht geweten": a guilty conscience. Lit.: a bad conscience.

Related words:
- Onschuldig: not guilty, innocent, harmless [adjective].

Example:
- "De ogen van een onschuldig kind maken de grootste bullebak week."
("The eyes of an innocent child weaken the biggest bully.")

- Schuld: guilt, debt [noun] [de schuld, de schulden].

Storing

disturbance, interruption, failure, technical malfunction
[noun]
[de sto-ring, de sto-ring-en]

The verb "storen" translates to "to disturb/intrude/interrupt/interfere" and is used in both a technical and non-technical context. The noun "storing" however is mostly used in its translation of "technical failure/malfunction".

Examples:
- "Wereldwijde storing treft Gmail." 
("Gmail hit by worldwide breakdown.")

- "Vanwege een seinstoring is er geen treinverkeer mogelijk tussen Amsterdam en Den Haag." 
("Due to signal failure there are no trains between Amsterdam and The Hague." Lit.: "there is no train traffic between ...")

- "Er is een storing op Schiphol, je kunt op dit moment niet inchecken." 
("There is a service interruption at Schiphol airport, you cannot check in at the moment.")

Related words:
- Onderbreking: disruption [noun] [de onderbreking, de onderbrekingen].
- Buiten dienst/werking: out of service/order.
- Storen: to interrupt/interfere/disturb [verb] [stoorde, gestoord].
- Gestoord: defective, mentaly disturbed [adjective].

Flapdrol

dweeb, idiot, loony, wacko
[noun]
[de flap-drol, de flap-drol-len]

"Flapdrol" is composed of "flap" and "drol", which respectively translate to "flap" and "turd", so "flap turd" isn't a compliment :-)

"Flapdrol" is used informally and is a derogatory word for a lame and loony person (mostly male) without character.

Examples:
- "Het zal wel aan mij liggen, maar ik vind Frank een flapdrol." 
("It's probably just me, but I think Frank's a dweeb.")

- "Zie je die gast met dat groene haar? Wat een flapdrol!" 
("Do you see that dude with the green hair? What a loony!")

- "Wie is die flapdrol met dat brilletje?" - "Ho eens even! Dat is onze minister-president Jan-Peter Balkenende!"
("Who's the dweeb with the glasses?" - "Now just a minute! That's our prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende!")

Expressions:
- "Elke gek zijn gebrek": <ironical> Everybody's a fool sometimes.
- "Zalig de armen van geest, want hunner is het Koninkrijk der hemelen (Matteüs 5:3)": Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matth 5:3).

Related words:
- Mafkees: crazy person, wacko [noun] [de mafkees, de mafkezen].
- Mafkikker: crazy person, wacko (lit.: crazy frog) [noun] [de mafkikker, de mafkikkers].

Bonje

row, fight, quarrel
[noun]
[de bon-je, <no plural>]

You can say that there is "bonje" somewhere, that people are having "bonje" or that there is "bonje" between people. It is not necessarily a row or fight, it can also be the state of people being heavily in disagreement, not talking to each other etc. It is in fact quite similar to "ruzie" but its usage is more informal.

Examples:
- "Hoor je dat lawaai hiernaast? Volgens mij hebben de buren bonje." 
("Do you hear that noise next door? I think the neighbours are fighting.")

- "Het begon als een discussie, maar aan het eind van de middag was het toch echt bonje." 
("It started out as a debate, but at the end of the afternoon it became a real fight after all." Note that quite often a "discussie" in Dutch is more a debate/argument than a conversation.)

- "Kunnen Robert en Erica beter niet uit elkaar gaan; het is altijd bonje tussen die twee." 
("Shouldn't Robert and Erica break up; they are always fighting / having arguments.")

- "Wat is er? Hebben jullie bonje?" 
("What's wrong? Are you (guys) fighting?")

Related word:
- Ruzie: quarrel, row, argument, fight [noun] [de ruzie, de ruzies].

Vertrouwen

1. trust, confidence
[noun]
[het ver-trou-wen, no plural]

"Vertrouwen" can be both the noun "trust" and the verb "to trust" (see second meaning below). Don't mix it up with "trouwen" ("getting married"), to which it has no connection.

Examples:
- "Hij gaf mij het vertrouwen dat ik nodig had om die baan te krijgen." 
("He gave me the trust I needed to get that job.")

- "In het afgelopen jaar is het vertrouwen in de regering sterk gedaald." 
("During the past year, the confidence in the government has decreased sharply.")

- "Ik heb er vertrouwen in dat we de economie er weer bovenop kunnen helpen." 
("I'm confident that we can help restore the economy again.")

- "Ik kwam hier al als kind, dit is voor mij een vertrouwde omgeving." 
("I used to come here as a kid, this is a very well-known environment for me.")

- "Toen hij eindelijk zijn studie had afgerond, ging hij zijn werkend leven vol vertrouwen tegemoet."
("When he had finally finished his studies, he entered his working life full of confidence.")

2. to trust, to confide in
[verb]
[ver-trouw-de, ver-trouwd]

Examples:
- "Ik vertrouwde hem blindelings, maar hij heeft mijn vertrouwen geschonden." 
("I trusted him completely, but he betrayed my trust.")

- "Je bent te goed van vertrouwen, terwijl ik niemand vertrouw!" 
("You trust people too easily, whereas I don't trust anyone!")

- "Pas op voor haar, ze is niet te vertrouwen." 
("Watch out for her, she's not to be trusted.")

- "Nadat zijn vriendin een keer was vreemdgegaan, vertrouwde hij haar niet meer." 
("After his girlfriend cheated on him once, he didn't trust her anymore.")

Related words:
- Vertrouwd: easy to recognize, well-known [adverb/adjective].

Mouw

sleeve
[noun]
[de mouw, de mou-wen]

A "mouw" is a sleeve. A "mouw" can be "kort" (short) of "lang" (long).

Examples:
- "Kijk! Er zit een lieveheersbeestje op je mouw!"
("Look! There is a ladybird on your sleeve!")

- "De mouwen van deze trui zijn te lang." 
("The sleeves of this sweater are too long.")

- "Hoe is het weer vandaag? Zal ik iets met korte of lange mouwen aantrekken?" 
("How's the weather today? Shall I wear something with short or long sleeves?")

Expressions:
- "Daar valt wel een mouw aan te passen": we'll manage somehow. Lit.: There's probably a sleeve that can be adjusted.
- "Iemand iets op de mouw spelden": to tell someone a small (lie). Lit.: to pin something on one's sleeve.
- "Uit de mouw schudden": to come up with something just like that. Lit.: to shake out of the sleeve.

Example:
- "Sander schudt moppen zo uit zijn mouw...echt grappig!"
("Sander comes up with jokes just like that...really funny!")

- "De handen uit de mouwen steken: to put one's shoulder to the wheel. Lit.: to stick one's hands out of the sleeves.
- "Daar komt de aap uit de mouw": the truth is revealed, the real intentions become clear. Literally: comes the monkey out of the sleeve.

Related words:
- Kort: short [adjective].
- Lang: long [adjective].
- Manchet: cuff [noun] [de manchet, de manchetten].
- T-shirt:T-shirt [noun] [het T-shirt, de T-shirts].
- Trui: sweater, jumper [noun] [de trui, de truien].
- Kleren: clothes [noun] [<no singular>, de kleren].

Extra:
Don't confuse the noun "mouwen" (sleeves) with the verb "mauwen", which translates to "to meow" (the sound made by a cat), which also can be used figuratively: to whine. You may also see "miauwen", which also translates to "to meow", but which doesn't have the figurative meaning.

Haar

"Haar" is a common or a neuter noun, depending on the meaning. Note that "haar" can also be a possessive or personal pronoun, see 3. and 4. below.

1. hair
[noun]
[het haar, <no plural>]

You say "het haar" when talking about hair in general (such as body hair) or your haircut/style/do.

Examples:
- "Mijn haar ziet er niet uit, sorry, maar zo kan ik echt niet uit." 
("My hair looks really bad, I'm sorry, but I can't possibly go out like this.")

- "Wat zit je haar leuk!" - "Nou, dankjewel!" 
("Your hair looks really nice!" - "Well, thank you!")

- "Sander heeft gisteravond zijn haar gemillimeterd." 
("Sander trimmed/cropped his hair last night." Here the verb "millimeteren" is obviously derived from the length of the hairs left after trimming.)

- "Haar haar zit leuk, vind je ook niet?" 
("Her hairstyle is really nice, don't you think?")

- "Is jouw haar geverfd, of is dat je echte haarkleur?" 
("Is your hair dyed, or is that your real hair colour?")

Expressions:
- "Als je haar maar goed zit...": literally "as long as your hair looks fine..." this says something like "why worry over something..."

Related words:
- Kapsel: hairstyle/do [noun] [het kapsel, de kapsels].
- Haarstijl: hairstyle [noun] [de stijl, de stijlen].
- Borst/been/schaam/okselhaar: chest/leg/pubic/armpit hair [noun] [het haar, <no plural>].
- Kaal: bald [adjective].

2. hair
[noun]
[de haar, de ha-ren]

You say "de haar" when talking about a single hair, or "de haren" in case you mean a collection of single hairs as opposed to a hairdo.

Examples:
- "Van al dat harde werken krijg je grijze haren als je niet oppast." 
("All that hard work may cause grey hairs (to appear) if you don't watch out.")

- "Van wie zijn die blonde haren?" - "Ik heb geen idee, echt waar schat..." 
("Whose blonde hairs are those?" - "I haven't got a clue, honestly darling.")

- "Er zit een haar in mijn salade." - "Bah, wat vies!"
("There is a hair in my salad." - "Yuck, how disgusting!")

Expressions:
- "Daar krijg je grijze haren van": that will turn your hair grey.
- "Op een haar na": very nearly.

Example:
- "De auto raakte de voetganger op een haar na."
("The car very nearly hit the pedestrian.")

- "Geen haar op mijn hoofd die daar aan denkt": I would not dream of it. Lit.: "Not a single hair on my head that will think of that".

Related words:
- Behaard: hairy [adjective].

3. her
[possessive pronoun]

Example:
- "Ik zweer het, dat is mijn haar, niet haar haar!" 
("I swear, that is my hair, not her hair!")

4. her
[personal pronoun]

Example:
- "Ok, ik zal het haar zeggen." 
("OK, I will tell her.")

Tosti

toasted ham and cheese sandwich
[noun]
[de tos-ti, de tos-ti's]

There's not really an equivalent in English for "tosti". In French, there is, though: "croque-monsieur". "Tosti" apparently originates from the Italian "tosto" (from which "tosti" is the plural form), which is short for "tostato", which is the past particple of "tostare": to toast.

A "tosti" is two slices of bread, by default with cheese and ham in between, toasted all together. The ingredients may vary, but cheese (of any kind) seems to be mandatory. If you order a tosti without further specification, you will receive a ham and cheese tosti, mostly served with a small bowl of ketchup.

Examples:
- "Ik wil graag een tosti."  - "Ham en kaas?" - "Ja, graag."
("I would like to have a tosti." - "Ham and cheese?" - "Yes, please.")

- "Lara maakt de allerbeste tosti's!! Met Franse salami, tomaatjes en oude kaas..." 
("Lara makes the absolute best tostis!! With French salami, little tomatoes and old cheese...")

- "Ober, mag ik mayonaise bij mijn tosti in plaats van ketchup?" - "Vanzelfsprekend, meneer."
("Waiter, can I have mayonaise with my tosti instead of ketchup?" - "Naturally, sir.")

Related words:
- Tosti-apparaat: toaster device (for making tostis) [noun] [het tosti-apparaat, de tosti-apparaten].
- Tosti-ijzer: toaster device (for making tostis, lit.: tosti iron) [noun] [het tosti-ijzer, de tosti-ijzers].
- Broodrooster: toaster (for toasting slices of bread) [noun] [het broodrooster, de broodroosters].
- Roosteren: to toast [verb] [roosterde, geroosterd].

Extra:
You have a "broodrooster" (toaster) and a "tosti-apparaat/ijzer". They are different devices. The former is a device used to toast bread, especially by exposure to electrically heated wire coils. The latter is a device for making tostis by heating/toasting a ham/cheese sandwich between two metal plates. These plates are usually heated electrically.

Tosti-apparaat/ijzer                                                                   Broodrooster

Toveren

to practise sorcery / witchcraft, to conjure (up)
[verb]
[to-ver-de, ge-to-verd]

"Toveren" is often used in its literal sense: witches and sorcerers do it all the time :-) It can also be used when someone does something which seems impossible.

Examples:
- "De tovenaar leerde de toverspreuken uit zijn hoofd." 
("The sorcerer learned the magic charms by heart.")

- "Harry Potter gaat naar de school van tovenarij Zweinstein." 
("Harry Potter attends the school for witchcraft Hogwarts.")

- "Toen ik vroeg of zij een tissue had toverde zij een hele rol keukenpapier te voorschijn uit haar tas." 
("When I asked her for a tissue, she conjured up an entire kitchen roll out of her purse.")

- "Wil je binnen 10 minuten een artikel van twee pagina's? Onmogelijk! Ik kan niet toveren." 
("Do you want a two-page article within 10 minutes? Impossible! I'm no wizard.")

- "Wie heeft van de toverdrank gedronken? Asterix of Obelix?" 
("Who drank (of) the magic potion? Asterix or Obelix?")

- "Hans Klok is een van de bekendste Nederlandse illusionisten/goochelaars." 
("Hans Klok is one Holland's most famous illusionists.")

Related words:
- Goochelen: to conjure, to perform conjuring tricks [verb] [goochelde, gegoocheld].
- Goochelkunst: conjuring trick [noun] [de goochelkunst, de goochelkunsten].
- Goochelaar: illusionist [noun] [de goochelaar, de goochelaars].
- Tovenaar: sorcerer [noun] [de tovernaar, de tovenaars].
- (Tover)heks: witch, sorceress [noun] [de toverheks, de toverheksen].
- Toverspreuk: magic spell, charm [noun] [de toverspreuk, de toverspreuken].
- Toverkol: witch, hag [noun] [de toverkol, de toverkollen].
- Toverdrank: magic potion [noun] [de toverdrank, de toverdranken].

Extra:
Dutch singer Herman van Veen - who slightly resembles a sorcerer himself - had a hit in the eighties with his song "Toveren". The clip on You Tube doesn't match the song but you can check this site for the funny lyrics.

Magnetron

microwave (oven)
[noun]
[de mag-ne-tron, de mag-ne-trons]

If you think that "magnetron" is the Dutch translation of the name of a character from the X-men or Transformers series, you're wrong... :-)

The Netherlands are probably the only country in the world where the microwave oven is called by its main internal component that produces the microwave radiation: the cavity magnetron... Even in Belgium, the Dutch "magnetron" is called "microgolfoven" (i.e. the literal translation of microwave oven).

Sometimes you will see the word "combi-magnetron", which means that the microwave also has an oven/grill function.

Examples:
- "Verwarm de saus drie minuten in de magnetron op 1000 Watt." 
("Heat up the sauce for three minutes in the microwave at 1000 Watt.")

- "Kunnen we die noedels van de afhaalchinees ook morgen nog in de magnetron stoppen?" 
("Can we put those noodles from the take-away Chinese in the microwave tomorrow?.")

- "Frank heeft nooit zin om te koken en haalt altijd een magnetronmaaltijd van de supermarkt." 
("Frank never feels like cooking and always gets a microwave dinner at the supermarket.")

Related words:
- Opwarmen: to heat up [verb] [warmde op, opgewarmd].
- Vermogen: power [noun] [het vermogen, de vermogens].

Example:
- "Hoe lang moet deze maaltijd in de magnetron?" - "Vijf minuten op vol vermogen."
("How long does this dinner have to go in the microwave?" - "Five minutes at full power.)

- Koken: to cook [verb] [kookte, gekookt].

Beweging

movement, move, motion, exercise
[noun]
[de be-we-ging, de be-we-gin-gen]

"Beweging" and the related verb "bewegen" have everything to do with movement, exercise, and motion. It can be used in both a literal and a figurative sense. Note that the past participle of "bewegen" is "bewogen", and can also be used as an adjective/adverb meaning "moved", "eventful" or "emotive".

Examples:
- "Ik heb een stijve nek, ik heb duidelijk wat meer beweging nodig." 
("I have a stiff neck, I clearly need more exercise".)

- "Hoe heb je je enkel verstuikt?" - "Ik maakte een verkeerde beweging tijdens mijn tenniswedstrijd." 
("How did you sprain your ankle?" - "I made a wrong move during my tennis game.")

- "De vredesbeweging protesteerde op de Dam." 
("The peace movement demonstrated at Dam Square.")

- "Iedere dag minimaal een half uur bewegen is goed voor je gezondheid." 
("Exercising at least half an hour each day is good for your health.")

- "Hij heeft een bewogen leven gehad: hij heeft in twee oorlogen gevochten." 
("He has had an eventful life: he fought in two wars.")

- "Hij was diep bewogen door haar pleidooi voor meer vrijheid." 
("He was deeply moved by her plea for more freedom.")

Expressions:
- "In beweging zetten/krijgen": to start up, to begin to move.

Example:
- "Ze is zo lui als een varken, ze is niet in beweging te krijgen."
("She's very lazy, I can't make her do anything." Lit.: "She's as lazy as a pig, she is hard to move.")

- "Een omtrekkende beweging maken": to try to bypass/circumvent.

Example:
- "Zij maakte een omtrekkende beweging toen hij die confronterende vraag aan haar stelde."
("She tried to circumvent answering when he asked her that confronting question.")

- "Uit eigen beweging": of one's own accord.

Example:
- "Niemand heeft hem gedwongen, hij deed het uit eigen beweging."
("Nobody forced him, he did it out of his own free will.")

Related words:
- Bewegen: to move [verb] [bewegen, bewoog, bewogen].
- Bewogen: moved, eventful, emotive [adjective/adverb].

Roddelen

to gossip
[verb]
[rod-del-de, ge-rod-deld]

Like most people, the Dutch like to gossip, translated "roddelen". The gossip about the famous Dutch - the "BN'ers" - can be found in the Dutch gossip magazines ("roddelbladen"), see Extra.

Examples:
- "Frank roddelt altijd achter de rug van zijn baas." 
("Frank always gossips behind his chef's back.")

- "Ik? Een affaire met de buurvrouw? Wie heeft er geroddeld? Dat slaat nergens op!" 
("Me? An affair with my neighbour? Who told you that gossip? That makes no sense at all!")

- "Welke BN'ers staan nu weer in de roddelbladen?" 
("Which famous Dutch are in the gossip magazines now?")

Related words:
- Roddelblad: gossip magazine, tabloid [noun] [het roddelblad, de roddelbladen].

Example:
- "Ik lees altijd de roddelbladen bij de kapper."
("I always read the gossip magazines when I'm at the hairdresser.")

- Weekblad: weekly magazine (that's how gossip magazines like to call themselves :-) ) [noun] [het weekblad, de weekbladen].
- Babbelen: to chat, to chatter [verb] [babbelde, gebabbeld].
- Kletsen: to talk (nonsense), to chatter [ver] [kletste, gekletst].
- Achterklap: gossip [noun] [de achterklap, <no plural>].
- Riooljournalistiek: yellow journalism (lit.: sewer journalism) [noun] [de riooljournalistiek, <no plural>].

Extra:
The Dutch have gossip magazines too. Here's an (probably incomplete) overview:
- Story (the first Dutch gossip magazine)
- Privé
- Weekend
- Party

Actually, in the Netherlands there are no tabloids comparable to the tabloids in - for example - the UK (Daily Star, The Sun, etc.). The Dutch newspaper "Telegraaf" has somewhat the look and feel of a tabloid, but is still considered to be a quality newspaper. The Telegraaf has a special gossip section though, with selection of the topics and articles in the Privé gossip magazine...

Conferentie

conference
[noun]
[de con-fe-ren-tie, de con-fe-ren-ties]

Quite often Dutch people also use the word "congres" which is similar to "conferentie", so a Dutch person might tell you that "he is going to a congress", see the Related words. Note that the "tie" in "conferentie" is pronounced "tsie".

Examples:
- "Volgende week ben ik niet op kantoor, want ik ga naar een conferentie." 
("Next week I will not be in the office, because I'll be going to a conference.")

- "Ga je wel eens naar een conferentie voor je werk?" - "Nee, mijn werkgever vindt dat niet nodig." 
("Do you ever attend a conference for work?" - "No, my employer feels it is not necessary.")

- "Is je artikel al gepubliceerd?" - "Nee nog niet, ik presenteer het eerst op een conferentie." 
("Has your paper been published yet?" - "No not yet, I will first present it at a conference.")

- "Is Sarah in Tallinn voor die conferentie?" - "Misschien, ze heeft er niets over tegen mij gezegd. Sander is er wel, dat weet ik zeker." 
("Is Sarah in Tallinn for that conference?" - "Maybe, she has not said anything about it to me. Sander is there, that I know for sure.")

Related words:
- Vergadering: meeting [noun] [de vergadering, de vergaderingen].
- Congres: conference [noun] [het congres, de congressen]. In Dutch the word "congres" is often used for a more formal or bigger conference.

Example:
- "Ga je naar een congres of naar een conferentie?" - "Ik weet het niet, wat is het verschil?"
("Are you going to a 'conferentie' or to a 'congres' "? - "I don't know, what is the difference?")

Spijt

regret 
[noun]
[de spijt, <no plural>]

"Spijt" is the Dutch equivalent of "regret". It is often used in the construction "spijt hebben van iets", which literally translates to "to have regret over something", but which is commonly translated with "to regret something".

The related verb is "spijten": to regret. You may sometimes here the somewhat formal phrase: "Het spijt me", which literally translates to "It regrets me", but which is best translated with "I'm sorry". However, the Dutch mostly use "sorry" to express their regret over small everyday issues :-)

Examples:
- "Ik heb geen spijt van mijn beslissing." 
("I don't regret my decision.")

- "Zullen we nog een afzakkertje doen?" - "Het spijt me, ik ben blut..."
("Shall we have one for the road?" - "I'm sorry, I'm broke...")

- "Spijt...dat heb ik een paar keer gehad..." 
("Regrets...I've had a few..." Lit.: "Regret...I've had that a couple of times...")

- "Het spijt me voor je."
("I feel sorry for you.")

- "Waarom heb je de afwas nog niet gedaan?" - "Sorry schat, er was voetbal op TV..."
("Why haven't you done the dishes yet?" - "Sorry honey, there was (a) soccer (match) on TV...")

Expressions:
- "Tot mijn/onze spijt": I/we regret to [+ verb]. Lit.: "To our regret".

Example:
- "Tot onze spijt moeten wij u mededelen dat de trein van half tien niet zal vertrekken vandaag." 
("We regret to inform you that the 9.30h train will not depart today.")

- "Spijt betuigen": to express one's regrets.

Related words:
- Helaas: unfortunately [adverb].
- Jammer: too bad, (it's a) pity [adverb].
- Berouw: remorse [noun] [het berouw, <no plural>].

Example:
- "Zondaar! Toon berouw over uw zonden, en gij zult vergeven worden!"
("Sinner! Show remorse over your sins, and thou shallt be forgiven")

Grens

border, limit
[noun]
[de grens, de gren-zen]

"Grens" means "border" or "limit". If you ever travel by public transport, you'll hear it every time you cross from one zone into another (you pass the "zonegrens"). Within most countries in Europe, borders can be easily crossed without check-ups but you'll still find the "grenspalen" ("border posts") and "grenskantoren" ("border offices") marking the border. "Grens" is also often used in a figurative sense.

Examples:
- "Op de grens tussen Nederland en België staan grenspalen." 
("On the border of The Netherlands and Belgium there are border posts." See a "border post" in the picture.)

- "Ik begrijp dat je iedereen wilt helpen, maar we moeten ergens een grens trekken." 
("I understand that you want to help everyone, but we have to draw a line somewhere.")

- "Ik heb alles geprobeerd met haar: praten, schelden, dreigen; nu is mijn grens bereikt!" 
("I've tried everything with her: talking, scolding, threatening; now I've had enough!" Lit.: "...now my limit has been reached.")

- "Het slachtoffer van het ongeluk balanceerde twee uur op de grens tussen leven en dood." 
("The victim of the accident balanced on the verge between life and death for two hours.)

Expressions:
- "Je grenzen opzoeken": to find out how far you can go.

Example:
- "Je kunt beter vanaf het begin duidelijk zijn wat mag en wat niet mag, want hij zoekt je grenzen op."
("You'd better be clear from the start what's allowed and what's not, because he will try to find out how far he can go with you.")

- "Geen grenzen hebben": to have no limits.

Example:
- "Zij werkt dag en nacht; haar ambitie kent geen grenzen."
("She works night and day; her ambition has no limits.")

- "Er zijn grenzen!": there are limits (and you've reached them now)!

- "Een woordje over de grens spreken": to speak other languages (bit old-fashioned).

Example:
- "Hij spreekt een aardig woordje over de grens."
("He speaks other languages.")

Related words:
- Zonegrens: zone limit [noun] [de zonegrens, de zonegrenzen].
- Grenspaal: border post [noun] [de grenspaal, de grenspalen].
- Grenswachter: border guard [noun] [de grenswachter, de grenswachters].
- Grenspaal: border post [noun] [de grenspaal, de grenspalen].

Riem

1. belt
[noun]
[de riem, de rie-men]

The most common use for "riem" is in combination with a pair of trousers. To clarify the use of a "riem", its 'purpose' is sometimes added, e.g. "broekriem": (lit.) pants belt, or "veiligheidsriem": safety belt.

Examples:
- "Die bruine riem past niet bij die zwarte broek." 
("That brown belt does not go well with those black trousers.")

- "Ik doe even mijn riem los, ik moet even uitbuiken..." 
("I'm just gonna loosen up my belt, I have to sit back and relax for a minute...")

- "Dames en heren, we tonen u nu het gebruik van de veiligheidsriem."
("Ladie and gentlemen, we will now show you the use of the safety belt.")

- "Het slachtoffer dat met een riem geslagen was, heeft tegen de dader aangifte gedaan van zware mishandeling." 
("The victim that had been slapped with a belt, has pressed charges against the perpetrator over severe molestation.")

Expressions:
- "Een hart onder de riem steken": to put new heart into a person.
- "(Een stoot) onder de gordel": (a punch) below the belt.

Related words:
- Band: band, belt, strip, ribbon, tire [noun] [de band, de banden].
- Gordel: girdle [noun] [de gordel, de gordel].

2. paddle
[noun]
[de riem, de rie-men]

Second translation of "riem" is in the context of rowing: "paddle". Synonymous to "riem" in this context is "peddel" (sounds like the English "paddle"...) or "roeispaan".

Examples:
- "De kredietcrisis komt behoorlijk hard aan." - "Ja, we moeten maar roeien met de riemen die we hebben." 
("The financial crisis is a quite a punch in the face." - "Yes, we'll just have to make shift with what we have." )

Expressions:
- "Roeien met de riemen die je hebt": one must make shift with what one has.

Related words:
- Roeien: to row [verb] [roeide, geroeid].

Geweldig

great, fantastic, terrifc, tremendous [adverb/adjective] [ge-wel-dig]

"Geweldig!" is better than good, it means "great!", "terrific!" or "fastastic". Synonyms are "fantastisch" and "super". Don't confuse it with "geweld" which means "violence" or "force".

Examples:
- "Vond je het leuk?" - "Ja, ik heb geweldig genoten van de voorstelling!" 
("Did you enjoy it?" -"Yes, I really enjoyed the performance/I thought it was a fantastic performance.")

- "Heb je die baan gekregen die je zo graag wilde? Wat geweldig!" 
("Did you get that job that you wanted so badly? That's fantastic!")

- "Lieverd, je bent geweldig!" 
("Honey, you're great!")

- "Ik heb vorig jaar een fantastische rondreis gemaakt door China; het was echt een geweldige ervaring!" 
("I made a terrific journey through China last year; it really was a fantastic experience!")

- "Zijn nieuwste film is een geweldig succes!" 
("His latest film is a tremendous success!")

- "Hij heeft me geweldig geholpen met mijn verhuizing naar Amsterdam." 
("He's been an enormous help when I moved to Amsterdam.")

Related words:
- Gaaf: awesome, brilliant [adverb/adjective].
- Geweld: violence, force [noun] [het geweld, <no plural>].

Example:
- "De politie gebruikte geweld tegen de krakers."
("The police used violence against the squatters.")

- Tof: great, fabulous [adverb/adjective].
- Fantastisch: fantastic, great, terrific [adverb/adjective].
- Super: super, fantastic [adverb/adjective].

Extra:
The picture is taken from the website ikbengeweldig.nl ("I am great.nl"), a site promoting volunteering for young people. The text says: "you are great!" The site also has a test to measure how great you are ;-)

Herinneren

The verb "herinneren" can be used as a transitive (1) or reflexive (2) verb.

1. to remind [verb] [her-in-ner-de, her-in-nerd]

Here you use "herinneren" when something/body reminds you of something/body or when reminding somebody something (or something! ;-) )

Examples:
- "Zij herinnert mij aan mijn oma." 
("She reminds me of my grandmother.")

- "Herinner me eraan dat ik de deur op slot doe." 
("Remind me to lock the door.")

2. to remember, to recall [verb, reflexive] [her-in-ner-de, her-in-nerd]

Here the verb is used in the meaning of still knowing something or recalling something (as opposed to actively not forgetting something, see DWOTD Onthouden). Don't forget to use the reflexive pronoun!

Examples:
- "Ik herinner me er niks van!" 
("I don't remember anything (of what happened)!")

- "Als ik het me goed herinner is het hier om de hoek." 
("If I remember correctly, it's right here around the corner.")

- "Ik herinner me opeens dat ik de deur nog op slot moet doen." 
("I suddenly remember that I still have to lock the door.")

- "Herinner je je je oma nog?" 
("Do you still remember your grandmother?" The three "je's" are deliberate: the first is the subject, the second the reflexive pronoun, and the third the possessive pronoun.)

Related words:
- Herinnering: recollection, memory [noun] [de herinnering, de herinneringen].
- Geheugen: memory [noun] [het geheugen, <no plural>].

Klagen

to complain, to lament, to wail [verb] [klaag-de, ge-klaagd]

The Dutch have always something to complain about: the weather, their neighbours, the government. The Dutch word for the verb "complain" is "klagen". The related noun is "klacht": "complaint". If you want to file a complaint, you say "ik wil een klacht indienen".

Examples:
- "Ik klaag niet gauw." 
("I'm not one to complain." Lit.: "I don't complain easily/quickly.")

- "Frank klaagt al jaren over zijn salaris, de zeur." 
("Frank is complaining about his salary for years, the nag.")

- "Ik mag niet klagen." 
("I musn't complain.")

- "<dokter tegen patiënt> Kunt u mij precies vertellen wat uw klachten zijn?" 
("<doctor to patient> Can you tell me exactly what your complaints are?")

Expressions:
- "Steen en been klagen": to complain loudly/bitterly.
- "Het is god(s)geklaagd": it's scandalous, it cries to (high) Heaven.

Example:
- "Er is nog steeds hongersnood in de wereld, het is godgeklaagd!"
("People still die of starvation in the world, it's scandalous!")

Related words:
- Klacht: complaint [noun] [de klacht, de klachten].

Example:
- "Ik wil niet dat dit in de doofpot wordt gestopt. Ik dien een officiële klacht in!"
("I don't want this to be covered up. I will file an official complaint!")

- Pijn: pain [noun] [de pijn, de pijnen].
- Zeuren: to whine, to nag [verb] [zeurde, gezeurd].
- Zeur: nag [noun] [de zeur, de zeuren].

Doofpot

extinguisher [noun] [de doof-pot, de doof-pot-ten]

The only place where I've ever spotted a "doofpot" was at my grandparents' place. My grandfather used to put the ashes of his pipe's tobacco in it and I remember we were warned not to put any paper in it. In its literal meaning of "extinguisher", most "doofpotten" will be found at antique stores. In its figurative sense, "doofpot" is still used very often in newspapers when describing hush-hush politics or some scandal that was covered up.

The word "doof" is generally used in its translation of "deaf", however in "doofpot" it is derived from the verb "doven" which means "to extinguish". "Pot" means "jar" or "pot".

Examples:
- "Mijn grootouders hadden een koperen doofpot." 
("My grandparents had a copper extinguisher.")

Expressions:
- "Iets in de doofpot stoppen": to cover something up, to sweep something under the carpet.

Example:
- "De buitenechtelijke affaires van prins Bernard werden in de doofpot gestopt."
("The extramarital affairs of prince Bernard were covered up.")

- "De redenen voor het gedwongen aftreden van de Minister President werden in de doofpot gestopt."
("The reasons for the impeachment of the Prime Minister were hushed.")

Related words:
- Doof: deaf [adjective/adverb].
- Doven: to extinguish [verb] [doofde, gedoofd].

Example:
- "De priester doofde de kaarsen in de kerk."
("The priest put out the candles in the church.")

- Pot: jar, pot [noun] [de pot, de potten].

Horeca

hotel and catering industry [noun] [de ho-re-ca, no plural]

Although all Dutch know the meaning of "horeca", not everyone is aware of its origin: "horeca" is constructed by combining the first two letters of the Dutch words "hotel", "restaurant" and "café" (meaning "bar").

Examples:
- "Studenten werken vaak in de horeca om wat bij te verdienen."
("Students often work in a bar or restaurant to earn an additional income.")

- "Koninklijke Horeca Nederland is de brancheorganisatie van de Nederlandse horeca." 
("Royal Horeca Netherlands is the sector association of the Dutch horeca." Check their website here.)

- "Het rookverbod in de horeca is ingevoerd op 1 juli 2008."
("The ban on smoking in hotels, restaurants and bars was introduced on the 1st of July 2008.")

- "<Plaatje:> "Vanaf 1 juli is de horeca rookvrij"." 
("<Picture:> From 1st of July onwards, hotels, restaurants and bars will be non-smoking areas." Lit.: "..., hotels, restaurants and bars will be smoke-free". Check the Ministry of Health's website on the non-smoking policy here.)

- "Ik zou hem niet aannemen als barman, hij heeft helemaal geen horeca-ervaring." 
("I wouldn't hire him as a bartender, he doesn't have any experience working in hotels, restaurants or bars.")

- "Zij heeft jaren in de horeca gewerkt, als serveerster, kamermeisje, en barvrouw." 
("She has worked in hotels, restaurants and bars for years, as a waitress, chamber maid and barkeeper.")

Related words:
- Hotel: hotel [noun] [het hotel, de hotels].
- Restaurant: restaurant [noun] [het restaurant, de restaurants].
- Café: pub, bar [noun] [het café, de cafés].
- Barman: barkeeper, bartender [noun] [de barman, de barmannen].
- Serveerster: waitress [noun] [de serveerster, de serveersters].
- Ober: waiter [noun] [de ober, de obers].
- Kamermeisje: chamber maid [noun] [het kamermeisje, de kamermeisjes].
- Barvrouw: barkeeper [noun] [de barvrouw, de barvrouwen].

Bouwvakkersdecolleté

exposed butt crack of a construction worker [noun] [het bouw-vak-kers-de-col-le-té, de bouw-vak-kers-de-col-le-tés]

"Bouwvakkersdecolleté" is composed of "bouwvakker" and "decolleté", which respectively translate to "construction worker" and "cleavage" :-) It is an informal term for an exposed butt crack, not necessarily of a construction worker, but any person - usually male though - whose butt crack is showing when their pants are too low...

Because "bouwvakkersdecolleté" not only applies for just construction workers, this may be omitted in the translation: so merely "exposed butt crack", or "butt crack that's showing" will do.

Examples:
- "Een bouwvakkersdecolleté is onfatsoenlijk!" 
("An exposed butt crack is indecent!")

- "Toen Frank voorover bukte, had hij een bouwvakkersdecolleté..." 
("When Frank leaned forward, his butt crack was showing...")

- "Dat meisje heeft een bouwvakkersdecolleté, en ook nog een aarsgewei! Schandalig!" - "Vind je? Ik vind dat juist erg sexy."
("That girl's butt crack is showing, and she has an ass cap too! Outrageous!" - "You think so? I think that's actually quite sexy.")

Related words:
- Bilnaad: butt crack [noun] [de bilnaad, de bilnaden].
- Blotebillengezicht: pudding face [noun] [het blotebillengezicht, de blotebillengezichten].
- Billenknijper: bottom squeezer [noun] [de billenknijper, de billenknijpers].
- Bil: buttock [noun] [de bil, de billen].

Example:
- "De baby zat met zijn blote billetjes in het zand."
("The baby sat with his bare (little) buttocks/bottom in the sand.")

Herkennen

1. recognize, know, identify with [verb] [her-ken-nen, her-kend]

Here "herkennen" has the meaning of "recognizing somebody/thing who/that you already know". You can also use the verb to say you identify with somebody/thing or know what somebody is talking about.

Examples:
- "Na al die jaren herkende ik hem meteen!" 
("After all these years I recognized him immediately!")

- "Ik herkende haar aan haar vreemde manier van praten." 
("I recognized her by her strange way of speaking.")

- "Het is gewoon ongelofelijk lastig om zo'n grote groep te leiden!" - "Ja, dat herken ik wel..." 
("It is just incredibly difficult to lead such a big group!" - "Yes, I recognize that / know what you are talking about.")

- "Ik herken mezelf wel in de hoofdpersoon van dat boek." 
("I can identify with the main character of that book.")

Related words:
- Herkenning: recognition [noun] [de herkenning, <no plural>].

2. recognize, identify, make out, discern [verb] [her-ken-nen, her-kend]  

Here "herkennen" is used in the meaning of identifying or discerning.

Examples:
- "Je kunt het gebouw herkennen aan de lange schoorsteen." 
("You can recognize the building by the tall chimney.")

- "De tegenpartij is te herkennen aan de rood-wit gestreepte shirts." 
("The opponent / other side can be recognized/identified by the red and white striped shirts.")

- "Ok, de dader heeft dus een rode pet en een baard? Dan zal ik hem wel herkennen, hoop ik..." 
("Ok, so the perpetrator has a red cap and a beard? Then I guess I'll identify him, I hope...")

Related words:
- Onderscheiden: to discern, to distinguish [verb] [onderscheiden, onderscheid].

Afsluiten

to lock (up), to shut off, to close off, to finish (off)  [verb] [sloot af, af-ge-slo-ten]

This is this year's last Dutch Word Of The Day... "Afsluiten" seems pretty appropriate :-)

In general, "afsluiten" is used in a context where something is being put into a locked position or when something comes to an end.

Examples:
- "Frank, heb je de auto afgesloten?" 
("Frank, did you lock the car?")

- "Mirella is blut en heeft al een half jaar geen rekening betaald...nu hebben ze de elektriciteit afgesloten." 
("Mirella is broke and hasn't payed a bill in half a year...now they've shut off the electricity.")

- "Ik was slechts een verliefde dwaas, maar die periode heb ik nu afgesloten..." 
("I was merely a fool in love...but it's behind me now..." Lit.: "...but I've finished that period now...")

- "Als u de computer wil uitzetten, klik dan op 'Start', en dan op 'Afsluiten' ."
("I you want to turn off your computer, click 'Start', then click 'Shut down'. ")

- "Sander, Marc en Laura sluiten een succesvol jaar af in stijl: met champagne!" 
("Sander, Marc and Laura are closing off a successful year in style: with champagne!")

Expressions:
- "Eind goed, al goed": all is well that ends well.
- "Aan alle goed dingen komt een eind": all good things come to an end.

Related words:
- Sluiten: to close [verb] [sloot, gesloten].
- Afsluiter: closing (off) [noun] [afsluiter, de afsluiters].

Example:
- "Een bonus van duizend euro! Dat is een lekkere afsluiter van het jaar..."
("A thousand euro bonus! That's a nice way to finish off the year...")

- Slot: lock [noun] [het slot, de sloten].
- Einde: end [noun] [het einde, de eindes].

Extra:
Sander, Marc and Laura whish you all a merry Christmas and a sparkling new year!!!

Onthouden

to remember [verb] [ont-hield, ont-hou-den]

The verb "onthouden" has multiple meanings, but in this DWOTD we focus on the translation of "to remember", as in "to not forget" (for your information, the other translations are "to abstain (from)" or "to withhold"). A common alternative to the verb "onthouden" is the construction "niet vergeten" ("to 'not' forget").

Examples:
- "Onthou(d) dat ik altijd van je zal houden, wat er ook gebeurt!" 
("Remember that I will always love you, whatever happens!" Note that you can use both "onthou" and "onthoud" as the imperative form in this case.)

- "Het lukt me niet om namen te onthouden, echt erg!" 
("I am unable to remember names / I am bad at names, really awful!")

- "Echt waar? Dat zal ik onthouden!" 
("(Is it) really (true)? I will remember that!")

- "Ik heb een geheugen als een vergiet, ik kan echt niets onthouden!" 
("I have a really bad memory, I am unable to remember anything!" Lit.: "I have a memory like a colander, I can really remember nothing!")

Related words:
- Vergeten: to forget [verb] [vergat, vergeten].
- Zich herinneren: to remember (something in the past) [verb (reflexive)] [herinnerde, herinnerd].

Kansloos

hopeless, desperate, without chance [adjective/adverb] [kans-loos]

"Kansloos" consists of "kans" and "-loos". "Kans" means "chance", "opportunity" or "possibility". The ending "-loos" means "without" and refers to the word it follows. Therefore, "kansloos" literally means "without chance" and it is used in that way when describing hopeless plans, hopeless behaviour or any hopeless situation. Informally, "kansloos" is also used when referring to people (see Examples).

The opposite of the "-loos" is "-rijk". "Rijk" literally means "rich". A word ending with "-rijk" means "with many" or "full of", again referring to the word it follows. Like "rijk", the separate "loos" does have a meaning too,  which is somewhat formal: "empty", or the somewhat old-fashioned meaning "missing" (see Extra), and in the expression: "wat is (hier) loos?": "what's going on (here)?"

Examples:
- "De Atlantische oceaan oversteken in een kano is een kansloze onderneming."
("Crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a canoe is a hopeless plan." Please note that "een kansloze onderneming" can be replaced here by "onbegonnen werk".)

- "Roger Federer was kansloos tegen Jokovic." 
("Roger Federer didn't stand a chance against Jokovic.")

- "De deelgemeente Rotterdam-Zuid is dit project gestart om kansloze jongeren te helpen."
("The community Rotterdam-Zuid has started this project to support young people with few prospects." Note that in this sentence, "kansloos" can also be replaced by "kansarm" ("underprivileged"), literally "poor in chance".)

- "Hij heeft al zes talen geprobeerd te leren maar stopt steeds na drie maanden, het is echt kansloos." 
("He has already tried to learn six languages but he always quits after three months, it's really hopeless.")

- "Hij komt altijd te laat voor examens, hij is echt kansloos." 
("He's always late for exams, he's really hopeless.")

Expressions:
- "Wat is hier loos?": what's going on here?
- "Een loze bewering/belofte": An empty statement/promise.

Related words:
- Kans: chance, opportunity, possibility [noun] [de kans, de kansen].
- Kansrijk: full of chance, opportunity, possibility [adverb/adjective].
- Rijk: rich [adverb/adjective].
- Words ending on "-loos": without... [adverb/adjective].
- Arm: poor [adverb].
- Kansarm: underprivileged, having few prospects [adverb/adjective].

Extra:
"Daar was laatst een meisje loos" is the title of an old Dutch sailor song. It literally translates to "Recently a girl has been missing".

Eng

1. scary, creepy [adjective] [eng]

"Eng" is a homonym: it has multiple meanings, thus multiple translations. First translation is "scary/creepy", second translation is "narrow/tight", see 2.

Examples:
- "Ik houd niet van griezelfilms, veel te eng." 
("I don't like horror movies, way too scary.")

- "Die billenknijper is zo'n enge man, het is verschrikkelijk." 
("That bottom squeezer is such a creepy man, it's awful.")

- "Ik durf niet te kijken, wat een enge scene..." 
("I'm too scared to watch, what a scary movie scene." Lit.: "I don't dare to watch...")

Expressions:
- "Zich een hoedje schrikken": to be scared out of one's wits.

Related words:
- Schrikken: to be scared [verb] [schrok, geschrokken].
- Akelig: scary, nasty [adjective].

Extra:
One of the first big Dutch "scary movies" was Amsterdamned. It's about a maniac scuba diver who is on a mad rage killing people in the Amsterdam canals....Actually it's very outdated now, but still fun to watch :-)

2. narrow, tight [adjective] [eng]

In this context, "eng" is used to qualify a lack of space: the lack of space in a pair of trousers, or the lack of space in small street.

When used in reference to a pair of trousers, you may hear "strak" more often.

Examples:
- "Dit straatje is veel te eng voor een auto, draai maar om." 
("This little street is way too narrow for a car, just turn around.")

- "Vermijd dit enge steegje 's nachts...het is een redelijk enge plek als het donker is." 
("Avoid this narrow alley at night...it is a pretty creepy place when it's dark.")

- "Ik krijg geen lucht...deze spijkerbroek zit veel te eng." 
("I can't get any air...these jeans are much too tight.")

- "Frank heeft zo'n enge visie op het leven: werken, eten, slapen...werken, eten, slapen..."
("Frank has such a narrow-minded vision on life: work, eat, sleep...work, eat, sleep...")

Related words:
- Strak: tight [adjective].
- Klein: small [adjective].

Volledig

complete(ly), full(y), entire(ly) [adverb/adjective] [vol-le-dig]

"Volledig" consists of two words: "vol" (meaning "full") and "ledig" (the old-fashioned word for "leeg" which means "empty"). So it seems to be a contradictio in terminis: what does it mean, full or empty? "Volledig" means full. A more often used synonym of "volledig" is "helemaal".

Related noun is "volledigheid": completeness, entirety.

Examples:
- "Dacht je dat ik jouw werk zou afmaken? Sorry, dat heb je volledig verkeerd begrepen!"
("Did you think that I would finish your work? I'm sorry, you completely misunderstood.")

- "Hij is volledig blut na zijn reis naar de casino's in Macau." 
("He is completely broke after his trip to the casinos in Macau.")

- "Heb je de volledige route naar van Amsterdam naar Santiago de Compostela gelopen?"
("Did you walk the entire way from Amsterdam to Santiago de Compostela?")

- "Voor de volledigheid zal ik de doelstellingen van het project nogmaals toelichten." 
("For the sake of completeness I will explain the objectives of the project once more." Please note that "volledigheid" is often used in a formal setting.)

- "Haar vakantie was volledig verziekt door de aanslag in Mumbai."
("Her vacation was totally ruined because of the attack in Mumbai.")

- "Zoek je een gedeeltelijk of volledig gemeubileerd appartement?"
("Are you looking for a partly or fully furnished apartment?")

- "Deze auto is volledig uitgerust om door de bergen te rijden."
("This car is fully equipped to drive through the mountains.")

- "Maak je geen zorgen, je kunt hem volledig vertrouwen."
("Don't worry, you can trust him completely.")

Related words:
- Volledigheid: completeness [noun] [de volledigheid, de volledigheden].
- Vol: full [adverb/adjective].
- Totaal: total [adverb/adjective].
- Heleboel: a (whole) lot, (quite) a lot, lots [noun] [de heleboel, <no plural>].
- Leeg: empty [adverb/adjective].

Betuttelen

to patronize [verb] [be-tut-tel-de, be-tut-teld]

"Tut" is an informal derogative for a somewhat stupid goose of a woman. "Betuttelen" would actually be something like "to treat like a 'tut' ". Don't confuse "tut" with the far more rude "trut", which translates to "b*tch"...

The related noun is "betutteling", see also Extra.

Examples:
- "Frank betuttelt zijn vriendin verschrikkelijk in het openbaar." 
("Frank dreadfully patronizes his girlfriend in public.")

- "Je moet een jong kind niet te veel betuttelen." 
("You shouldn't patronize a young child too much.")

- "Al die betuttelende regels van deze regering maken me gek!" 
("All those patronizing rules of this government make me crazy!")

Expressions:
- "Iemand de les lezen": to lecture someone.

Related words:
- Beschermen: to protect [verb] [beschermde, beschermd].
- (Onder)steunen: to support [verb] [(onder)steunde, (onder)steund].

Extra:
The Dutch don't like to be "betutteld". In fact, the Dutch complain a lot about being "betutteld" by the government. A lot of the Dutch - especially the smokers - consider the recent ban on smoking in bars and restaurants a serious form of "betutteling", as well as the even more recent ban on hallucinogenic mushrooms (the so called paddos). Some believe that the christian parties (CDA and CU) within the Dutch Cabinet and Parliament are mainly responsible for this...Apparently, there's even a party that protest against any kind government-driven kind of "betutteling" or patronizing...

Vergadering

meeting [noun] [de ver-ga-de-ring, de ver-ga-de-ring-en]

In Dutch office life it is common to have meetings. The associated verb is "vergaderen": the act of sitting together and discussing issues. A "vergadering" in the Netherlands can last very long. This is because we like to reach a compromise consensus and everybody gets their say (and decisions are not always made). See the Extra for some "vergadering" lingo.

Examples:
- "Ik moet nu ophangen, ik heb een vergadering over 5 minuten." 
("I have to hang up now, I have a meeting in 5 minutes.")

- "De ene na de andere vergadering, ik word er gek van!" 
("One meeting after another, it is driving me crazy!")

- "Het is de bedoeling om de voortgang van het project te bespreken, maar ik kom helemaal niet aan werken toe door al die vergaderingen!"
("The intent is to discuss the progress of the project, but I hardly get to do some work due to all these meetings!")

Related words:
- Vergaderen: to formally meet to discuss something [verb] [vergaderde, vergaderd].
- Agenda: agenda [noun] [de agenda, de agenda's]. This word is also used for a (pocket) calendar, hence Dutch people often say they have to check their "agenda".
- Agendapunt: topic on the agenda [noun] [het punt, de punten].
- Voorzitter: chairman [noun] [de voorzitter, de voorzitters].
- Discussiëren: to argue, to discuss [verb] [discussieerde, gediscussieerd].
- Bespreken: to discuss, to talk about [verb] [besprak, besproken].

Extra:
A common topic on a meeting agenda is "WVTTK", short for "wat verder ter tafel komt", or: "what else may come to the table" (like "any other business"). This is an opportunity to bring a new topic to discuss to the table but it may only prolong the meeting. It is encouraged not to include this topic but to formally decide on the meetings agenda at the beginning of the meeting. This is done during the meeting topic "vaststelling agenda". At the end of a meeting it is common to give all attendants one more chance to ask a question about something that has not been discussed yet. This is called the "rondvraag" (and the chairman will go "round the table" to see if anybody has a question ("vraag")). Again this might lead to more discussion and a longer meeting :-)

Kaal

bald, bare [adjective] [kaal]

"Kaal" can refer to a landscape without trees, a head without hair, a room without furniture, a piece of worn out fabric or a bare wall. Check out this DWOTD for an example of an expression referring to the meaning "bald".

Examples:
- "Wat een kaal, kleurloos landschap, er is geen boom of grassprietje te zien."
("What a bare, colourless landscape, there's not even one tree or tiny blade of grass.")

- "Als je in het leger gaat, scheren ze je hoofd kaal." 
("If you join the army, they'll shave your head.")

- "Val jij op kale mannen of mannen met een flinke haardos?"
("Do you fancy bald men or men with a head of hair?")

- "Veel kale vrouwen dragen een pruik." 
("Many bald women wear wigs.")

- "Ik ben net verhuisd dus mijn nieuwe appartement ziet er nog wat kaal uit."
("I've just moved so my new apartment still looks a bit empty.")

- "Ik ga een grote spiegel aan die kale muur hangen."
("I'm going to put up a large mirror on that bare wall.")

- "Je kunt die jas echt niet meer aan, hij is helemaal kaal op de ellebogen."
("You really cannot wear that coat anymore, it's all bare on the elbows.")

Related words:
- Kaalheid: baldness [noun] [de kaalheid, <no plural>].
- Kalend: getting bald [adjective].
- Haardos: hair of head [noun] [de haardos, de haardossen].
- Pruik: wig [noun] [de pruik, de pruiken].

Neus

nose [noun] [de neus, de neu-zen]

Not a very exciting word, however there are many (many many) expressions involving the "neus", see the Examples and Expressions below. The word "neus" is also often used to denote the point or tip of an object, see the Examples. And there is also the verb "neuzen": to browse, nose about/round.

Examples:
- "Pardon, ik moet even mijn neus snuiten." 
("Excuse me, I have to blow my nose.")

- "Ja dag! Dat ga ik jou niet aan je neus hangen!" 
("Yeah right! As if I would ever tell you about that! / That is none of your business!" Lit. "I am not going to hang that to your nose!")

- "Wat is er?" - "O niks, alleen een beetje een bloedneus." 
("What's wrong?" - "Oh nothing, just a bit of a nosebleed." Lit. "blood nose.")

- "Ik heb slecht geslapen, de hele nacht een verstopte neus!" 
("I slept really badly, all night long a stuffy nose!")

- "Sorry dat ik te laat ben, de trein reed vlak voor mijn neus weg!" 
("My apologies for being late, I just missed the train!" Lit. "the train took off right in front of my nose".)

- "Draag je wel eens schoenen met stalen neuzen?" 
("Do you ever wear steel-capped shoes?")

- "Zie ik daar een scheur?" - "Waar?" - "Daar bij de neus van het vliegtuig..." 
("Is that a crack up there?" - "Where?" - "There, near the nose of the plane...")

- "Stop eens met in je neus te peuteren, dat is niet netjes!"
("Stop picking your nose, it's not decent!")

Expressions:
- "Het neusje van de zalm": the cream of the crop, the crème de la crème.
- "Je neus in andermans zaken steken": to be nosy, to pry, to interfere with somebody else's business.
- "Ergens een neus voor hebben": to have a good eye for something.
- "Iemand bij de neus hebben": to fool somebody.
- "Het komt mijn neus uit": I'm fed up (with it).
- "Doen alsof je neus bloedt": to pretend you are innocent / you don't know what happened.
- "Een frisse neus halen": to get a breath of fresh air. Lit. "to get a fresh nose".
- "Met je neus kijken": to not look properly / to look for something with your eyes closed. Particularly applicable to men ;-)
- "Je staat er met je neus bovenop": it's right in front of you. Lit. "you are standing on it with your nose".
- "Iemand met zijn neus op de feiten drukken": to make someone face the facts. Lit. "to press somebody's nose on the facts."
- "Iemand iets onder zijn neus wrijven": to rub someone's nose in it, to accuse somebody of something.
- "Dat is een wassen neus": that is just for show / that is fake. A "wassen neus" is a "wax nose".

And then there are many more!

Related words:
- Reukorgaan: olfactory / nasal organ [noun] [het orgaan, de organen].
- Ruiken: to smell [verb] [rook, geroken].
- Snuiten: to blow one's nose [verb] [snoot, gesnoten].
- Neuzen: to browse, nose around/about [verb] [neusde, geneusd]. You will also here "rondneuzen": to prowl / nose about.

Example:
- "Ik vind het heerlijk om rond te neuzen in tweedehands-platenwinkels."
("I really enjoy nosing around in second-hand record stores.")

Borrelpraat

twaddle [noun] [bor-rel-praat]

"Borrelpraat" is composed of "borrel" and "praat". Traditionally, "borrel" refers to a strong alcoholic drink, but it is also often used to describe a drink with colleagues or friends to celebrate a certain event (graduation, Christmas (the so-called "kerstborrel"), or your birthday). "Praat" means "talk" or "story". Hence, "borrelpraat" refers to the conversations people have at a "borrel". As you'll all understand, these conversations often lead nowhere but are very enjoyable. The more alcohol is consumed, the more "borrelpraat" can be heard.

Examples:
- "Luister maar niet naar die borrelpraat; als je nuchter bent is het niet te volgen."
("You'd better not listen to that twaddle; if you're sober it's impossible to follow.")

- "Moeten jullie nog werken of kunnen we gaan borrelen om het weekend te vieren?" 
("Do you still have work to do or can we go and have a drink to celebrate the weekend?")

- "Kom eens met ons borrelen."
("Join us for a informal drink.")

- "Je gelooft die roddels toch niet; het is gewoon borrelpraat."
("You don't believe that gossip, do you; it's just twaddle.")

Related words:
- Borrel: drink, informal reception [noun] [de borrel, de borrels].
- Borrelen: drink and talk [verb] [borrelde, geborreld].
- Praat: talk [noun] [no singular, de praat].

Kapot

broken, cracked, torn, gone to pieces, out of order [adjective] [ka-pot]

"Kapot" is used as a qualification for a general dysfunctional state. This goes for both objects and persons, physically as well as mentally. "Kapot" can be used in conjunction with a various number of verbs, which will lead to various translations, but all will somehow refer to a dysfunctional state.

You will hear the synonymous "stuk" a lot as well.

Examples:
- "De lamp is kapot." 
("The lamp is broken.")

- "Mam, ik heb de vaas laten vallen, en nu is hij stuk..." 
("Mum, I've dropped the vase, and now it's gone to pieces...")

- "Laat me een keer slapen, want ik ga kapot." 
("Let me sleep just one time, because I'm going to pieces." Line from a song by famous Dutch 80s band Doe Maar)

Expressions:
- "Zich kapot lachen": to laugh one's ass off.
- "Zich kapot schrikken": to be scared to death.

Example:
- "Frank ziet er slecht uit...ik heb me kapot geschrokken..."
("Frank is looking awful...I was scared to death (by it)...")

- "Zich kapot werken": to work oneself to death.
- "Ergens kapot van zijn": <positive> to be (really) impressed by something, to (really) love something.

Example:
- "Wat vind je van de nieuwe CD van Duffy?" - "Ik ben er helemaal kapot van!"
("What do you think of Duffy's new CD?" - "I really love it!)

- "Ergens kapot van zijn": <negative> to be dreadfully cut up by something.

Example:
- "Hoe lang is het al uit?" - "Zes maanden, maar ik ben er nog steeds kapot van."
("It's been how long since the breakup?" - "Six months, but I'm still heart-broken.")

Related words:
- Stuk: broken [adjective].
- Uitgeput: exhausted [adjective].

Boef

scoundrel, rascal, villain [noun] [de boef, de boe-ven]

Another word for "boef" is "schurk". The word "boef" however can also take on the meaning of "lawbreaker". In both translations it is a bit of an old-fashioned word but there is an expression you should know about (see below). Also, the diminutive "boefje" can be used for naughty, mischievous children.

Examples:
- "De Disneyfiguur "Black Pete" heet in het Nederlands "Boris Boef"." 
("The Disney character "Black Pete" is called "Boris Boef" in Dutch.")

- "Ik vraag me af wat er later van het buurjongetje terecht zal komen; hij is nu al een echt boefje." 
("I wonder what will later become of the boy next-door; he is already quite a scamp.")

Expressions:
- "Ga (toch) boeven vangen!": literally "go catch lawbreakers/thieves/etc.", this expression can be used by people who are fined by the police for a (in their opinion) trivial violation of the law, and who feel that the police should focus on the real bad guys. The ministry of Justice is now actively asking the general public for help with finding wanted criminals on the web site www.boevenvangen.nl .

Related words:
- Schurk: scoundrel, villain [noun] [de schurk, de schurken]. See also DWOTD Schurkenstaat.
- Politie: police [noun] [de politie, <no plural>].

Dak

roof [noun] [het dak, de da-ken]

Examples:
- "Het dak lekt..." 
("The roof is leaking...")

- "Kom van dat dak af!" 
("Get off that roof immediately!" See Extra.)

- "Ons huis heeft een plat dak." 
("Our house has a flat roof.")

- "Zal er dit jaar met Kerst sneeuw op de daken liggen?" 
("Will there be snow on the roofs with Christmas this year? ")

Expressions:
- "Onder één dak wonen": to live in the same house / under the same roof.
- "Het viel me koud op mijn dak": "I was quite unprepared for it".
- "Uit je dak gaan": to go wild.

Example:
- "Hoe was het concert?" - "Man, ik ging helemaal uit mijn dak!!"
("How was the concert?" - "Man, I went completely wild!!")

Related words:
- Dakpan: roof tile [noun] [de pan, de pannen].
- Regenpijp: (d)rain pipe [noun] [de pijp, de pijpen].
- Schoorsteen: chimney [noun] [de steen, de stenen].
- Ladder: ladder [noun] [de ladder, de ladders].

Extra:
In the late 50s, a Dutch rock 'n' roll song became very popular and is now one of the Dutch rock 'n' roll classics. The song is called "Kom van dat dak af" and was performed by "Peter en zijn Rockets": lead singer Peter Koelewijn and his band "De Rockets". You can listen to the song here, or watch Peter sing his biggest hit again in 2007...

Heleboel

a (whole) lot, (quite) a lot, lots [noun] [de heleboel, no plural]

"Heleboel" is composed of "hele" (from "heel": whole) and "boel" which can have several meanings: things, matters and even "mess". In this case it means "lots" or "a lot". "Heleboel" is mostly used in conjunction with a noun, see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Mijn dochtertje stelt een heleboel vragen." 
("My (little) daughter asks a lot of questions.")

- "Er zijn een heleboel mensen met een heleboel geld." 
("There are a lot of people with a whole lot of money.")

- " 'Heleboel' is een vreemd woord, vind je niet?"- "Ach, er zijn een heleboel vreemde woorden!" 
(" 'Heleboel' is a strange word, don't you think?" - "Oh well, there are lots of strange words!")

- "Kun je zien hoeveel mensen er zijn?" - "Nee, maar het zijn er een heleboel!" 
("Can you see how many people there are?" - "No, but there are quite a lot!") 

Related words:
- Heel: whole [adverb/adjective].
- Boel: things, matters / lot, lots [noun] [de boel, no plural].

Example:
- "We laten de boel de boel!"
("Let's leave things as they are!")

- Veel: much, many, a lot [adverb/indefinite pronoun/cardinal].
- Hoop: heap, pile [noun] [de hoop, de hopen].
- Berg: load, heap, mountain [noun] [de berg, de bergen].

Glad

1. smooth, slippery [adjective/adverb]

In general, "glad" refers to an object which is not rough. It is often used when warning for slippery roads in wintertime, or to describe objects with a smooth surface.

Examples:
- "Het tijdschrift heeft een glanzende, gladde voorkant."
("The magazine has a shiny, smooth cover.")

- "Puisterige pubers gebruiken clearasil om een gladde huid te krijgen." 
("Teens with pimples use clearasil to get a smooth skin.")

- "Mijn fietsbanden hebben bijna geen profiel meer; ze zijn helemaal glad."
("My bicycle-tyres don't have any tread left; they're all bald.")

- "De gladde wegen leidden tot lange files op de snelwegen." 
("The slippery roads resulted in long traffic jams on the highways.")

- "De sneeuw maakte de weg spiegelglad." 
("The snow made the road as slippery as glass.")

Expressions:
- "Iets glad vergeten": to totally forget something.

Example:
- "Het spijt me heel erg, maar ik ben je verjaardag glad vergeten." 
("I'm so sorry, but I totally forgot your birthday.")

Related words:
- Spiegelglad: as slippery as glass [adjective/adverb].

2. slick [adjective/adverb]

"Glad" can also refer to boys or men. If so, it is seldomly used as a compliment. Someone is "glad" when he's not to be trusted. I suspect the origin of the word has something to do with an apparent correlation between untrustworthy men and the exuberant amounts of hair gel that these men tend to use to create their slick hairdo. Slightly old-fashioned words for such a type of man are "gladjakker" and "gladjanus".

Examples:
- "Ik zou mijn auto niet van die autohandelaar kopen; hij is veel te glad."
("I wouldn't buy my car from that car dealer; he's way too slick.")

- "Kijk maar uit voor die gladde jongens met hun gladde praatjes."
("You'd better watch out for those slick guys with their slick stories.")

Related words:
- Gladjanus: slicker [noun] [de gladjanus, de gladjanussen].
- Gladjakker: slicker [noun] [de gladjakker, de gladjakkers].

Aap

monkey [noun] [de aap, de apen]

Even though there is not a single "aap" to be found in the Netherlands (other than in zoos obviously), there is a lot of "aap" related vocabulary. I don't think this DWOTD is complete, so readers are invited to comment :-)

Note that although there is a distinction between a "monkey" and an "ape", it is common in spoken Dutch to refer to both as "apen". If you want to be specific, say "mensaap" in the case of an "ape".

Examples:
- "Heb jij wel eens een aap in het wild gezien?" 
("Have you ever seen a monkey in the wild?")

- "Aap, noot, mies..." 
("Monkey, nut, mies." First three words of the traditional reading board ("leesplankje") used in the Netherlands end of the 19th century till mid 20th century (is my guess). See the picture above.)

- "Een aap die geen bananen eet." 
("A monkey that does not eat bananas." This is a memory aid to help you tune your (regular 6 string) guitar. Take the first letter of each word: E-A-D-G-B-E.")

- "Madelon is gek op apekoppen." 
("Madelon really likes 'apekoppen'." Dutch people in general like liquorice ("drop") and many different kinds are for sale, for example 'apekoppen' ("monkey heads"). Note that one should write "apenkoppen" according to the most recent spelling rules.)

- "Apen maken handig gebruik van lianen." 
("Monkeys make clever use of lianes.")

Expressions:
- "Daar komt de aap uit de mouw": the truth is revealed, the real intentions become clear, etc.. Literally "there the monkey comes out of the sleeve".
- "Voor aap staan": to be made a fool of, to look a right monkey. When you do this to somebody, the expression becomes "iemand voor aap zetten".
- "In de aap gelogeerd zijn": to be in a fix, to be up the creek (shit creek without a paddle if you so prefer :-) ). Allegedly, there once was an inn called "de aap" in Amsterdam, and it was really really bad. (The verb "logeren" means "to stay (at), to spend the night".)
- "Brutale/lelijke aap!": literally 'cheeky/ugly monkey', this is used to address (very) insolent children.

Related words:
- Mensaap: ape [noun] [de mensaap, de mensapen].
- Na-apen: to imitate, mimic [verb] [aapte na,nageaapt].

Extra:
There is a zoo in the Netherlands near the town of Apeldoorn that is dedicated to monkeys and apes. It is called the "Apenheul" and is a popular family-with-kids outing.

Traag

slow [adjective/adverb]

"Traag" refers to the slowness of events, people, internet and so on. A more often-used synonym of "traag" is "langzaam". The difference between the two words is that people will choose "traag" if they are starting to get a bit annoyed, whereas "langzaam" can also be a good thing.

Examples:
- "Hij loopt zo traag als een slak hoewel er niets mis is met zijn conditie." 
("He walks like a snail although there's nothing wrong with his fitness.")

- "Ik kom echt traag op gang elke dag, vooral nu het nog steeds donker is als ik opsta 's ochtends." 
("I really get off to a slow start every day, especially now it's still dark when I get up in the morning.")

- "Zij is een beetje traag van begrip vandaag omdat ze maar drie uur heeft geslapen vannacht." 
("She's a bit slow-witted today since she's only slept three hours last night.")

- "Internet is zo traag vandaag, is er een technische storing ofzo?" 
("Internet is so slow today, is there a technical malfunction or something?")

- "<Plaatje:> Graag traag (rijden)".
(" ("<Picture:> (Drive) slowly please.")

- "De bestuurder in de auto voor ons rijdt zo traag als een oma." 
("The driver in the car before us drives as slow as a grandma.")

Related words:
- Langzaam: slow [adjective/adverb].
- Snel: fast [adjective/adverb].
- Traagheid: slowness, tardiness [noun] [de traagheid, no plural].

Beroerd

miserable, nasty, rotten, awful [adjective]

"Beroerd" is synonymous to "belabberd". It also indicates an opposite state of well-being. Like "belabberd", "beroerd" can be used for mental and physical state, situations and performance.

Examples:
- "Ik heb flinke keelpijn, ik voel me erg beroerd." 
("My have a very sore throat, I feel really miserable.")

- "Vanochtend had ik een gigantische kater, ik heb me nog nooit zo beroerd gevoeld..."
("This morning I had a terrible hangover, I've never felt so miserable...")

- "De situatie in Congo is beroerd nu de oorlog tussen de Hutu's en de Tutsi's weer begonnen is." 
("The situation in Congo is nasty now the war between the Hutus and the Tutsis has started again.")

- "10 km in twee en een half uur? Dat is een beroerde prestatie van Frank..." 
("10km in two and a half hour? That's a lousy achievement of Frank....")

Expressions:
- "De beroerdste niet zijn": to be not that difficult. (Used to indicate one's flexible attitude)

Example:
- "Liefie, wil jij de afwas doen?" - Tuurlijk scheetje, ik ben de beroerdste niet."
("Sweetie, do you want to do the dishes?" - "Of course my little darling, I'm not that difficult.")

Related words:
- Belabberd: lousy, miserable [adjective].
- Slecht: bad [adjective].

Uitgeput

exhausted, worn out, empty, depleted [adjective]

"Uitgeput" is derived from the verb "uitputten": to exhaust, to deplete. You will often encounter the word "uitgeput" in the context of energy/strength, or supplies/budget.

Examples:
- "Ik heb geen fut vandaag." - "Geen fut? Volgens mij ben je uitgeput!" 
("I do not have a lot of energy today." - "Not a lot of energy? I think you are exhausted!" Note that "fut" translates to something like "energy/strength, zip, kick, drive".)

- "Helaas kan het boek nog niet geleverd worden, onze voorraden zijn uitgeput." 
("Unfortunately the book cannot be delivered yet, our supplies are exhausted.")

- "Het spijt me, een nieuwe laptop zit er dit jaar niet in. Het budget is volledig uitgeput." 
("I'm sorry, a new laptop will not be possible this year. The budget is completely depleted." Note the expression "het zit er niet in": it is not going to happen, it will not be possible.)

Related words:
- Uitputten: to exhaust, deplete, finish up [verb] [putte uit, uitgeput].
- Moe: tired [adjective].
- Energie: energy [noun] [de energie, no plural].

Koekeloeren

to (sit and) stare, to (take a) peek [verb] [koekeloerde, gekoekeloerd]

If you think that "koekeloeren" is in some way related to "koekoek" (cuckoo), you're wrong. It's a verb that is used informally to describe a somewhat dull or furtive way of looking or staring. 

"Loeren" translates to "to peer/leer/spy". The etymological origin of "koek(e)" is unknown to me (although "koe" translates to "cow"... or maybe "koek", which translates to "cake/cookie"). Readers are kindly requested to provide additional info :-)

Examples:
- "Hee makker, zit je naar mijn vriendin te koekeloeren?" 
("Hey pal, are you peeking at my girlfriend?")

- "Frank zat tijdens de presentatie alleen maar een beetje te koekeloeren." 
("During the presentation, Frank was just sitting and staring.")

- "Ik zit hier maar naar mijn scherm te koekeloeren, maar ik heb geen inspiratie..."
("I'm just sitting and staring at my screen, but I have no inspiration...")

- "De billenknijper stond vanuit een donkere hoek naar zijn volgende slachtoffer te koekeloeren.
("The bottom squeezer was taking a peek at his next victim from a dark corner.")

Related words:
- Loeren: to peer, to leer, to spy [verb] [loerde, geloerd].
- Gluren: to peep, to peek [verb] [gluurde, gegluurd].
- Gluurder: peeping tom, voyeur [noun] [de gluurder, de gluurders].
- Staren: to stare [verb] [staarde, gestaard].
- Billenknijper: bottom squeezer [noun] [de billenknijper, de billenknijpers].

Extra:
Apperently, there's an organised tour through the red light district in Amsterdam which is called "Koekeloeren bij de hoeren" (lit.: peeping around at the hookers)...

Kegel

"Kegel" has three common translations. If you are not into bowling or mathematics, jump to translation 3!

1. (ten)pin [noun] [de kegel, de kegels]

A "kegel" is also used for the (nine)pin in the game of skittles ("kegelspel", with associated verb "kegelen") but in the Netherlands this is not a common game, contrary to bowling.

Example:
- "Te gek, in één worp alle kegels omver!!" 
("Super/cool! All pins down in one throw!" Note that "omver" implies falling over and it is usually combined with the verb that causes the movement such as "gooien" ("to throw"), "stoten" ("to bump/knock") etc.)

Related words:
- Bowlen: to bowl [verb] [bowlde, gebowld].
- Bowlingbaan: bowling alley [noun] [de baan, de banen].
- Bowlingbal: bowling ball [noun] [de bal, de ballen].

2. cone [noun] [de kegel, de kegels]

Here "kegel" is the three-dimensional geometric shape "cone". The word is also used for anything that is shaped like a cone.

Examples:
- "De inhoud van een kegel bereken je als volgt: ..." 
("One calculates the volume of a cone as follows:...")

- "Mijn favoriete ruimtelijke figuur is de kegel." 
("My favourite three-dimensional shape is the cone.")

- "Verkoopt u ook wierook in de vorm van een kegeltje?"
("Do you also sell incense in the shape of a small cone?")

Related words:
- Cilinder: cylinder [noun] [de cilinder, de cilinders].
- Bol: sphere [noun] [de bol, de bollen].

3. badly smelling alcohol breath [noun] [de kegel, de kegels]

Now this is one you should know. Whenever one is not talking about bowling or a cone, it must be about badly smelling alcohol breath! Mind that the word is obviously used informally.

Examples:
- "Ik ben naar de tandarts geweest vanochtend en die gast had een enorme kegel, ongelofelijk!" 
("I have been to the dentist this morning and that bloke/guy was reeking of alcohol, unbelievable!")

- "Ga nou maar slapen, je hebt een enorme kegel!" 
("Just go to bed will you, your breath smells of alcohol." Lit. "you have an enormous..")

Related words:
- Alcohol: alcohol [noun] [de alcohol, no plural].
- Dronken: drunk [adjective].

Bedrijf

company, firm, enterprise, business [noun] [het bedrijf, de bedrijven]

The most common translation of "bedrijf" is "company". You will less often encounter it in its meaning of an "act" in a play. It also has a meaning in the context of machinery, see the Expressions.

Examples:
- "Ken jij het bedrijf Twofish in Amsterdam?" - "Nee, maar het komt me wel bekend voor!" 
("Do you know the business Twofish in Amsterdam?" - "No, but it does sound familiar!")

- "Ik wil een eigen bedrijf beginnen, dus ik heb vrijdag een afspraak bij de Kamer van Koophandel." 
("I want to start my own company, so I have an appointment at the Chamber of Commerce this Friday.")

- "Mijn dochter studeert bedrijfskunde en ze vindt het erg leuk." 
("My daughter studies business administration and she enjoys it very much.")

- "Wist je dat TomTom een Nederlands bedrijf is?" 
("Did you know that TomTom is a Dutch company?")

Expressions:
- "Tussen de bedrijven door": as one goes along, in between times/jobs/tasks.

Example:
- "Sander schrijft deze DWOTD tussen de bedrijven door."
("Sander writes this DWOTD in between other activities.")

- "Buiten bedrijf zijn": to be out of operation, to be out of order.

Example:
- "Deze automaat is buiten bedrijf."
("This machine is out of order.")

Related words:
- Bedrijfsuitje: company outing [noun] [het uitje, de uitjes]. You will also hear "personeelsuitje" ("personnel outing"). See the Extra.
- Bedrijfsvoering: (operational) mangement [noun] [de bedrijfsvoering, no plural].
- Collega: colleague, co-worker [noun] [de collega, de collega's].
- Bestuur: board of directors, management [noun] [het bestuur, de besturen].
- Aandeel: share, stock [noun] [het aandeel, de aandelen].

Extra:
"Bedrijfsuitjes" are common in the Netherlands and usually you will have one once a year. The purpose is obvious: have a (hopefully) good time with the co-workers, which will then (hopefully) improve the working climate and hence make things more efficient. These days one tries to make the company outings more exciting, and there are even companies that specialize in company outings. Check out this video from youtube, which is a dubbed scene from 'Der Untergang', in which Hitler and his generals discuss what to do for the next company outing ("personeelsuitje"). Hitler wants to go bowling. They also discuss the family fun park "Drievliet" which is located along the river "de Vliet" between the cities of The Hague and Delft.

Hemel

heaven(s), sky [noun] [de hemel, de hemelen]

"Hemel" is used for the place where the good people (supposedly) go after they die, as well as for the sky that covers the earth.

Examples:
- "Onze Vader die in de hemel zijt." 
("Our Father who art in heaven.")

- "Zijn ze niet mooi, al die sterren aan de hemel?" 
("Aren't they beautiful, all those stars in the sky?")

- "Ken je 'De ontdekking van de hemel' van Harry Mulish?" 
("Do you know 'Discovery of heaven' by Harry Mulish?")

- "In hemelsnaam, ga niet!" 
("For heaven's sake, don't go!")

- "De zon staat hoog aan de hemel." 
("The sun is high in the sky.")

Expressions:
- "Mijn/lieve hemel": good heavens. Lit.: My/dear heaven.
- "Hemeltjelief": good heavens. Lit.: Little heaven's dear.
- "In de zevende hemel": in a state of total bliss, in heaven. Lit.: in the seventh sky/heaven.

Example:
- "Grace is in de zevende hemel. Ze is helemaal verliefd op Will."
("Grace is in a state of total bliss. She's completely in love with Will.")

- "Hemel en aarde bewegen": to move heaven and earth, to leave no stone unturned.

Related words:
- Engel: angel [noun] [de engel, de engelen].
- Hel: hell [noun] [de hel, <no plural>].

Example:
- "Goede mensen gaan naar de hemel, slechte mensen naar de hel..."
("Good people go to heaven, bad people to hell...")

- Lucht: air, sky [noun] [de lucht, de luchten].
- Ster: star [noun] [de ster, de sterren].
- Aarde: earth [noun] [de aarde, de aardes].
- Hemelvaart: ascension [noun] [de hemelvaart, <no plural>].

Krachtpatser

muscleman, musclehead [noun] [de krachtpatser, de krachtpatsers]

"Krachtpatser" is an informal word. It is composed of "kracht" ("force") and "patser" ("show-off"), the latter derived from the informal verb "patsen": "to show off, to boast". Although informal, you may encounter "krachtpatser" in serious contexts. It can be used for people (mainly men), machinery and animals, but for animals it is not as common.

Examples:
- "Uitsmijters zijn meestal krachtpatsers." 
("Bouncers are usually musclemen." Note that "uitsmijter" is also a type of egg breakfast/lunch, see DWOTD Ei.)

- "De nieuwe vriend van Cathrine is een beetje een krachtpatser; dat zou niks voor mij zijn!" 
("Cathrine's new boyfriend is a bit of a muscleman; that wouldn't by my first choice!" Literally: "that would be nothing for me!")

- "De Toyota Prius is milieuvriendelijk, maar niet echt een krachtpatser." 
("The Toyota Prius is environmental friendly, but not much of a muscle car.")

- "Het paard Lazka van 'de Hollandsche manege' in Amsterdam is geen krachtpatser, maar ze is wel heel lief." 
("The horse Lazka from the "Hollandsche manege" in Amsterdam is not a very powerful horse, but she definitely is very sweet.")

Related words:
- Krachtig: powerful, strong [adjective].
- Sterk: strong [adjective].
- Patsen: to show off, to boast [verb] [patste, gepatst].
- Patserig: "show-offish" [adverb].
- Zwaargewicht: heavyweight [noun] [het zwaargewicht, de zwaargewichten].

Smoes

(poor) excuse, pretext, fib [noun] [de smoes,de smoezen]

A "smoes" is an informal synonym for "excuus", which translates to "excuse". It is usually a (small) story that is used to twist or cover up the truth. Although "smoes" has a negative connotation in this sense, it is not as 'bad' as a straight lie (which translates to "leugen" in Dutch).

Besides "smoes" you will often see its diminutive "smoesje" which makes it even less bad than a "smoes":-)

The related verb is "smoezen", which translates to "to whisper (secretly)".

Examples:
- "Ik verzin geen smoes, dit is echt de waarheid!" 
("I'm not making up an excuse, this is really the truth!")

- "Frank is weer laat vanochtend." - "Wat is nu zijn smoes?"
("Frank is late again this morning." - "What's his excuse now?")

- "Geen smoesjes, jongedame! Niet smoezen in de klas!" 
("No excuses, young lady! No secret whispering during class!")

Expressions:
- "Een leugentje om bestwil": a white lie.
- "(Ja ja,) smoesjes!": yeah right, that's just making poor excuses!

Related words:
- Excuus: excuse [noun] [het excuus, de excuses].
- Uitvlucht: pretext, escape, excuse [noun] [de uitvlucht, de uitvluchten].
- Leugen: lie [noun] [de leugen, de leugens].
- Liegen: to lie [verb] [loog, gelogen].

Geschiedenis

1. history [noun] [de geschiedenis, de geschiedenissen]

Every Dutch newspaper will probably use this word today when referring to the Barack Obama's presidential election victory. For more words related to elections, check DWOTD's "verkiezing" or "peiling".

Examples:
- "Obama wordt de eerste Afro-Amerikaanse president in de geschiedenis van de Verenigde Staten." 
("Obama will become the first Afro-American president in the history of the United States." Please note that the United States of America ("Verenigde Staten van Amerika") are often abbreviated to "VS" in Dutch. Also the term "Afro-Amerikaans" is more commonly used than 'Afrikaans-Amerikaans'.)

- "De geschiedenis van China begint 6.000 jaar geleden." 
("The history of China starts 6,000 years ago".)

- "Hij heeft geschiedenis gestudeerd aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam." 
("He has studies history at the University of Amsterdam".)

- "Onze vaderlandse geschiedenis leert ons over het heden en de toekomst van Nederland." 
("Our country's history teaches us about the present and the future of the Netherlands." Please note that the literal translation for the slightly outdated "vaderland" is "fatherland".)

Expressions:
- Geschiedenis schrijven: to write history.

Example:
- "Obama schrijft geschiedenis door de eerste Afro-Amerikaanse president van de Verenigde Staten te worden." 
("Obama writes history by becoming the first Afro-American president of the United States.")

- De geschiedenis herhaalt zich: history repeates itself.

Example:
- "De geschiedenis herhaalt zich keer op keer." 
("History repeats itself again and again.")

Related words:
- Verleden: the past [noun] [het verleden, no plural].
- Heden: the present [noun] [het heden, no plural].
- Toekomst: the future [noun] [de toekomst, no plural].

2. story, tale [noun] [de geschiedenis, de geschiedenissen]

"Geschiedenis" can also be used when referring to a story of tale. This translation is much more uncommon than the one explained above and is rather old-fashioned.

Examples:
- "Hij vertelde me dat hij wakker werd en niet meer wist hoe hij aan het geld kwam. Wat een vreemde geschiedenis."
("He told me that he woke up and he didn't remember how he got the money. What a strange story".A more common way to say "Wat een vreemde geschiedenis" would be "Wat een raar verhaal".)

Related words:
- Verhaal: the story [noun] [het verhaal, de verhalen].

Bijwonen

to attend, to be present at [verb] [woonde bij, bijgewoond]

"Bijwonen" is composed of "bij" and "wonen" but contrary to what you might expect, it does not translate as "to live at".  You use the verb "bijwonen" when you are present at some kind of meeting or event, but do not really participate in the activity.

Examples:
- "Wilt u de opname bijwonen? Dat kan. Bel naar het volgende nummer: ..." 
("Would you like to attend the recording? That is possible. Call the following number: ...")

- "Kun jij morgen de vergadering bijwonen, of ben je verhinderd?" 
("Can you attend the meeting tomorrow, or are you unable to go?")

- "Ik heb de bespreking alleen bijgewoond, ik heb niet echt deelgenomen aan het gesprek." 
("I was only present at the meeting, I did not really participate in the conversation.")

Related words:
- Toehoren: to listen to (other people in a meeting, etc.) [verb] [hoorde toe, toegehoord].
- Deelnemen: to participate [verb] [nam deel, deelgenomen].

Example:
- "Heb jij wel eens deelgenomen aan de marathon van Rotterdam?"
("Have you ever participated in the Rotterdam marathon?")

- Publiek: audience [noun] [het publiek, no plural].
- Wonen: to live, to inhabit [verb] [woonde, gewoond].

Slagroom

whipped cream [noun] [de slagroom, no plural]

"Slagroom" is composed of "slag" and "room", which translated to "whip/strike/hit" and "cream" respectively.

Examples:
- "Wilt u slagroom op uw appeltaart?" 
("Would you like to have whipped cream on your apple pie?")

- "Heb je zin in warme chocolade(melk)? Zo ja, met of zonder slagroom?"
("Would you like to have some hot chocolate? If yes, with or without whipped cream?")

- "Marc, zal ik de slagroom even halen?..."  - "Oelalaaa...jaaaa..."
("Marc, shall I go and get the wipped cream?..." - "Ou la laaaa...yesssss...")

- "Die sjaal maakt het helemaal af! Het is de slagroom op de taart!"
("That scarf just finishes it! It's the icing on the cake!" See also Expressions.)

Expression:
- "De slagroom op de taart": the icing on the cake. You may also hear "de kers op de taart": the cherry on top.

Related words:
- Melk: milk [noun] [de melk, no plural].
- Zuivel: dairy [noun] [de zuivel, no plural].
- Slaan: to hit [verb] [sloeg, geslagen].
- Slag: hit, strike, whip [noun] [de slag, de slagen].
- Room: cream [noun] [de room, no plural].

Extra:
A very popular cake in the Netherlands is the "slagroomtaart". Perhaps it is even the default cake for birthdays. That's why it has the nickname "de taart der taarten": 'the cake of all cakes', which by the way is also an example of the rare usage of the genitive case in Dutch. Go wild and make your own "slagroomtaart" following this site's recipes.

Mijlpaal - DWOTD 500

milestone, landmark [noun] [de mijlpaal, de mijlpalen]

"Mijlpaal" is composed of "mijl" and "paal", which respectively translate to "mile" and "pole". The English "milestone" apparently transforms into a "milepole" in Dutch :-) Just like in English the word "mijlpaal" is used to refer to an important event in history or in one's life, and it is of course also a very popular project management term, see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Vandaag de 500e DWOTD! Een ongelofelijke mijlpaal, al zeggen we het zelf ;-) ."
("Today it's DWOTD 500! An incredible milestone, even though we say so ourselves ;-) .")

- "Dit project heeft de volgende mijlpalen en resultaten:" 
("This project has the following milestones and results:")

- "En, heb je je mijlpaal bereikt, of heeft het werk vertraging opgelopen?" 
("And, have you reached your milestone, or has the work been delayed?" Note the expression "vertraging oplopen": "to get behind", where "vertraging" means delay.)

Related words:
- Prestatie: achievement [noun] [de prestatie, de prestaties].
- Paal: post, stake, pole [noun] [de paal, de palen].
- Kilometer: kilometre [noun] [de kilometer, de kilometers].
- Hectometerpaal(tje): 'hectometre marker/stone' [noun] [de paal, de palen].
- Project: project [noun] [het project, de projecten].

Extra:
In the old days, "mijlpalen" or milestones were used to indicate the distance of one mile relative to a city gate or next milestone, to inform travellers about their position. The modern Dutch equivalent is the so-called "hectometerpaal", which is located along the main roads in the Netherlands ("provinciale wegen" and "rijkswegen"). You often hear the word "hectometerpaal" or its diminutive "hectometerpaaltje" on the Dutch traffic news to warn you for speed radars along the motorway. When you are not sure about the speed limit, just check out the speed limit sign on the "hectometerpaaltjes". If there is no speed limit sign, the motorway speed limit is 120km/h (on a "snelweg"). For more info, see "hectometerpaal" at Wikipedia.

Ouwehoeren

1. to talk rubbish/nonsense/crap/bullshit [verb] [ouwehoerde, geouwehoerd]

"Ouwehoeren" is composed of "ouwe" (from "oud") and "hoer", which translate to "old" and "whore", hence the literal translation would be "to oldwhore"... The related noun "geouwehoer" can be more ore less translated with "old wives chattering", but somehow the old wives ended up has whores in the Dutch language...:-)

"Ouwehoeren" can be used in a negative and positive context, where in the first context it is best translated with "to talk rubbish" (see 1.) and in the latter context with "to chat(ter) (informally)" (see 2.).

Examples:
- "Wat bedoelt Frank daarmee?" - "Let er maar niet op, hij zit te ouwehoeren..."
("What does Frank mean by that?" - "Just don't pay attention to it, he's talking rubbish...")

- "Schat, ouwehoer niet zo en schiet op! We moeten nu gaan!!"
("Honey, don't give me that crap en hurry up! We need to go now!!")

Expressions:
- "Uit zijn nek kletsen": to talk out of the back of one's neck, to talk nonsense. Lit.: to talk out of one's neck.

Related words:
- Geouwehoer: rubbish, (load of) crap, bullshit [noun] [het geouwehoer, <no plural>].

Example:
- "De kredietcrisis is de schuld van een wereldwijd financieel-militair complex." - "Geouwehoer!"
("The financial crisis is to be blamed on a global financial-military complex." - "Bullshit!")

- Kletskoek: waffle, twaddle, rubbish (talk), crap [noun] [de kletskoek, <no plural>].
- Kletspraat: waffle, twaddle, rubbish (talk), crap [noun] [de kletspraat, <no plural>].

2. to chat, to chatter, to chit-chat [verb] [ouwehoerde, geouwehoerd]

In a positive context, "ouwehoeren" can be used when chatting while sitting back in a relaxed atmosphere.

Examples:
- "Wat hebben jullie gisteravond gedaan?" - "Een biertje gedronken en lekker geouwehoerd!"
("What did you do last night?" - "Had a beer and just chatted!"

- "Een beetje voetbal kijken en ouwehoeren over buitenspel, dat is wat mannen doen op zondagavond!"
("Just watching some football and chit-chatting about offside, that's what men do on Sunday night!")

Related words:
- Kletsen: to chat, to chatter, to chit-chat [verb] [kletste, gekletst].

Example:
- "Kinderen! Niet kletsen in de klas!"
("Children! No talking/chatting during class!")

- "Ohaën": (sometimes (incorrectly) spelled as OH-en) short for "OuweHoer-en": to talk rubbish.

Lekkerbek

deep-fried cod, epicure [noun] [de lekkerbek, de lekkerbekken]

"Lekkerbek" consists of "lekker", which means good (as in "tasty") and "bek", which means "beak" (for a bird) or "mouth". "Bek" is mostly used informally or in a vulgar way, check out the example with the Related words.

"Lekkerbek" is the popular name for codfish wrapped in dough and deep-fried, but is also used for someone who really appreciates food. The Dutch word for codfish is "kabeljauw".

Examples:
- "In Scheveningen kun je het hele jaar door lekkerbekken eten." 
("You can eat codfish warpped in dough all year long in Scheveningen.")

- "Hij is een echte lekkerbek, hij eet het liefst de hele dag." 
("He is a real epicure, he prefers eating all day long".)

Related words:
- Lekker: good [adjective/adverb].

Example:
- "Het eten in dat Thaise restaurant is superlekker." 
("The food in that Thai restaurant is outstanding.")

- Bek: beak [noun] [de bek, de bekken].

Example:
- "Ik word helemaal gek van je; houd je bek!" 
("You're driving me nuts; shut up!" Please note this is a rude way of asking someone to keep quiet. Parents tell their children to shut up in a slightly more polite way: "houd je mond!", meaning "shut your mouth!")

- Mond: mouth [noun] [de mond, de monden].

Extra:
Please note that "lekker" can be used for almost everything: food, drinks, weather, people, how you feel, etc. Since the use of "lekker" is so diverse, we'll devote a separate DWOTD to it. Check the DWOTD "Lekker belangrijk" to get started.

Onverkwikkelijk

unpleasant, distasteful, sordid [adjective]

"Onverkwikkelijk" is quite formal and has a negative connotation. The synonymous "naar" (unpleasant) and "vervelend" (unfortunate) are less formal, but sometimes it's just fun to use a formal word;-)

Examples:
- "Herinner je je nog dat seksschandaal?"- "Ja, een onverkwikkelijke affaire..."
("Do you still remember that sex scandal?" - "Yes, a sordid affair...")

- "Ober, er zit een vlieg in mijn soep."  - "Dat is uitermate onverkwikkelijk meneer. Mijn nederige excuses."
("Waiter, there's a fly in my soup." - "That is most unpleasant sir. My humble apologies.")

- "Jongen, ik ben bezig met een gedicht voor pakjesavond, wat rijmt op 'verschrikkelijk' ?" - "Nou, wat denk je van 'onverkwikkelijk' ?"
("Dude, I'm working on a poem for Sinterklaas evening, what rhymes with 'verschrikkelijk' ?  - "Well, how about 'onverkwikkelijk' ?")

Related words:
- Vervelend: unfortunate, annoying [adjective].
- Naar: unpleasant [adjective].

Example:
- "Wat een nare man, die billenknijper."
("What an unpleasant man, that bottom squeezer.")

Grappig

funny, amusing, comical, humorous [adverb/adjective]

Derived from the noun "grap" ("joke"), "grappig" can be used as an adverb and an adjective. Its usage can also be ironical (which should be clear from context).

Examples:
- "Dit is niet grappig!" 
("This is not funny/amusing!")

- "Het spijt me, het was bedoeld als een grappige opmerking!" - "Laat maar, het geeft niet!"
("I'm sorry, I meant it jokingly / it was meant to be a funny remark!" - "Forget about it, it's OK!")

- "Denk je dat je grappig bent ofzo?" 
("Do you think you're funny (or something)?")

- "Sorry, maar ik zie niet in wat daar nu zo grappig aan is!" 
("I'm sorry, but I fail to see what is so funny about that!")

- "Echt een heel grappige film, ik raad hem je zeker aan!" 
("Really a very funny movie, I definitely recommend it (to you)." Be aware that "heel" is used here as an adverb (to "grappige"), hence it is not declined; this is a common mistake Dutch people make.)

- "<ironisch:> Grappig hoor!" 
(<ironically:> "Funny!! (Not)." / "Very amusing...") Note that you can also say this when you don't mean it ironically.)

- "Wat een leuke speech van Frank, hij bracht het heel grappig!" 
("What an amusing speech by Frank, he presented it very humorously." Usage of the noun "speech" is common in Dutch. Note the use of the verb "brengen" in the meaning of "to present/perform".)

Related words:
- Grap(je): joke [noun] [de grap, de grappen].
- Leuk: nice, funny [adverb/adjective].
- Grappen maken: to make jokes, to joke [verb] [maakte grappen, grappen gemaakt].
- Grappenmaker: funnyman / funny ladey, joker [noun] [de grappenmaker, de grappenmakers].
- Grapjas: see 'grappenmaker'.

Niks

nothing [indefinite pronoun]

"Niks" means "nothing" (or "not [...] anything"). A synonym for "niks" is "niets". Its antonym is found easily by omitting the 'n': "iets" means "something". "Niks" on the other hand does not have a similar antonym ("iks" does not exist).

Examples:
- "Ik snap er niks van hoe Dubai maar blijft groeien en groeien." 
("I don't understand how Dubai just keeps on growing and growing.")

- "Is er iets, je bent zo stil?" - "Nee, (er is) niks / er is niks aan de hand." 
("Is something wrong, you are so quiet?" "No, (there's) nothing".)

- "<Tegel rechts:> Als je niks te doen hebt, doe het dan niet hier." 
("<Tile on the right:> If you don't have anything to do, then don't do it here.")

- "Ik ben al 3 maanden een baan aan het zoeken maar heb nog steeds niks gevonden."
("I have been looking for a job for three months now and I still haven't found anything.")

- "Waarom neem je die baan in Muscat niet? Je hebt niks te verliezen!" 
("Why don't you take that job in Muscat? You have nothing to lose!")

Expressions:
- "Niks mee te maken!": that's not relevant at all!

Example:
- "Sorry dat ik je verjaardagsdiner vergeten ben maar ik had het echt heel druk." - "Niks mee te maken!"
("Sorry I forgot your birthday-diner but I was really busy." "That's not relevant at all!")

- "Voor niks gaat de zon op": everything has a cost (Lit.: For nothing rises the sun).

Example:
- "Het was te goed om waar te zijn, en inderdaad: voor niks gaat de zon op."
("It was too good to true, and indeed: everything has a cost.")

Related words:
- Niets: nothing [adverb].
- Iets: something [adverb].

Uitbuiken

to sit back and relax (after dinner) [verb] [buikte uit, uitgebuikt]

"Uitbuiken" is composed of "uit" and "buiken", from "buik", which respectively translate to "out" and "belly". Here the noun "buik" has been transformed into a (non-existent) verb by adding "-en" to it to create the infinitive form.

"Uitbuiken" is used informally, and was earlier described in DWOTD "Bierbuik". As said then, "uitbuiken" is what you do after a lavish dinner: sit back and relax to (literally) "stomach out", or give your stomach or belly some room. Typically, people who are in the event of "uitbuiken" will stretch their legs and lean backwards on the couch or a chair to provide their stomach with the necessary space to stimulate the digestion process :-)

Examples:
- "Na het eten moet ik altijd even uitbuiken." 
("After dinner I always have to sit back and relax.")

- "Altijd als we het eten bij een afhaalchinees bestellen, moet ik daarna echt uitbuiken." 
("Always when we order food at a take-away Chinese, I really have to sit back and relax afterwards.")

- "Heb jij net die joekel van een taart in je eentje opgegeten?" - "Ja, ik denk dat ik heel even moet uitbuiken..." 
("Did you just eat that giant cake all by yourself?" - "Yes, I think I need to sit back and relax for just a tiny bit now...")

Expressions:
- "Het eten laten zakken": to let one's food go down.

Example:
- "Liefie, het toetje was erg lekker. Ik ga even uitbuiken." - "Ja, ik ga ook even het eten laten zakken."
("Sweetie, dessert was very good. I'm gonna just sit back and relax now." - "Yes, I'm gonna let my food go down too.")

- "Smakelijk eten": bon appetit.

Related words:
- Natafelen: to linger at the dinner table [verb] [tafelde na, nagetafeld].

Example:
- "Met kerst kan onze familie altijd erg lang natafelen met franse kaas en rode wijn."
("During Christmas our family can always linger at the dinner table for a long time with French cheese and red wine.")

- Ontbijt: breakfast [noun] [het ontbijt, de ontbijten].
- Bierbuik: beer belly [noun] [de bierbuik, de bierbuiken].

Knikker

marble [noun] [de knikker, de knikkers]

Unless you are still a child (that doesn't like computer games) you will probably not shoot or play marbles anymore. There are however a few good expressions with "knikker" or the verb "knikkeren", see below.

Mind the pronunciation: in ‘kn’ the ‘k’ is always pronounced.

 Examples:
- "Ik ben gisteren bijna gevallen omdat er een knikker op de vloer lag in de keuken."
("Yesterday I almost fell because there was a marble on the floor in the kitchen.")

- "Knikkers? Nee volgens mij verkopen we die niet, is dat de naam van een Nintendo-spel?"
("Marbles? No I don’t think we sell those, is that the name of a Nintendo game?")

- "De namen die kinderen aan knikkers geven, verschillen per regio."
("The names that children give to marbles differ per region.”)

Expressions:
- "Er is stront aan de knikker": we’re in trouble, there is trouble, the shit hits the fan etc. Lit.: "there is shit/crap on the marble", but my guess is that "knikker" might have a different meaning here.
- "Zo kaal als een knikker": literally "as bald as a marble", this says you are really bald.
- "Het gaat om het spel, niet om de knikkers": it's not winning that counts, but taking part. Lit.: "It's about the game, not about the marbles." There are several variations to this expression.
- "Ik heb nog met hem geknikkerd": I know him from when we were young, lit.: "I used to play marbles with him".
- "Iemand eruit knikkeren": to chuck somebody out. Usually out of a group activity, a team, job position etc.

Example:
- "Na de slechte prestatie van het afgelopen jaar is de manager eruit geknikkerd."
("Due to the bad performance of the past year the manager was chucked out.")

Related words:
- Knikkeren: to play/shoot marbles [verb] [knikkerde, geknikkerd].
- Knikkerspel: game of marbles [noun] [het spel, de spelen].
- Potje: game [noun] [het potje, de potjes]. Also "pot", this is an informal synonym for "spel".

Example:
- "Zullen we nog een potje knikkeren?"
("Shall we play another game of marbles?")

- Knikkerzak: marbles pouch/bag [noun] [de zak, de zakken].

Poging

attempt, effort, try [noun] [de poging, de pogingen]

"Poging" is related to the verb "pogen", which is quite formal, which "poging" isn't. Instead of "pogen" you'll see "proberen", which translates to "to try". However, "proberen" doesn't have a directly related noun, well... that would be "poging" then :-)

"Poging" is often used in combination with the verb "wagen": "een poging wagen", which literally translates to "to wager/bet/risk an attempt", hence "to give it a try" or plain "to attempt/try".

In court, you'll encounter the expression "poging tot [subject]" - literally translating to "attempt at [...]", but which is commonly translated with "attempted [...]", as in "attempted murder": "poging tot moord".

Examples:
- "Dit is al haar derde poging om haar rijbewijs te halen." 
("This is already her third attempt to get her driver's license.")

- "En daar gaat-ie! Eerste poging voor de 2 meter 10 centimeter..." 
("And off he goes! First attempt at 2 meter and 10 centimeters." Note that in Dutch "centimeter" stays singular..)

- "De verdachte wordt beschuldigd van poging tot moord." 
("The suspect is charged with attempted murder.")

- "Marc, kun jij vandaag een DWOTD schrijven."  - "Ik heb eigenlijk geen tijd, maar ik zal een poging wagen..."
("Marc, can you write a DWOTD today?" - Actually, I don't have time, but I'll give it a try...")

Expressions:
- "Wie niet waagt, die niet wint": nothing ventured, nothing gained, fortune favours the bold. Lit.: Who doesn't risk/bet, doesn't win.

Related words:
- Proberen: to try [verb] [probeerde, geprobeerd].
- Pogen: to attempt [verb] [poogde, gepoogd].
- Probeersel: try-out [noun] [het probeersel, de probeersels].

Example:
- "Wat is dit voor presentatie?? Zeker één van Frank's gekke probeersels..."
("What kind of presentation is this?? Must be one of Frank's funny try-outs...")

Iemand

someone, anyone [indefinite pronoun]

You'll come across "iemand" meaning "someone" or "anyone" very frequently in the Dutch language. It is also very often used in personal interviews when the interviewee describes himself (please see "Extra"). Related to "iemand" is "niemand", which means "nobody" or "no one".

Examples:
- "Ik heb het iemand horen zeggen, maar ik weet niet meer wie." 
("I heard someone say this, but I can't remember who.")

- "Ik dacht dat er iemand aanbelde, maar toen ik de deur opendeed, zag ik niemand." 
("I thought that someone rang the doorbell, but when I opened the door, I didn't see anyone." Lit.: "..., I saw no one".)

- "Ik zoek een klusjesman, weet je iemand?" 
("I'm looking for a handyman, do you know anyone?")

- "Ik heb ook geen zin om de badkamer te poetsen, maar iemand moet het doen!" 
("I don't feel like cleaning the bathroom either, but someone has to do it!")

- "Ken jij iemand die zijn geld bij Icesave heeft gezet?" 
("Do you know anyone who put his money on the Icesave bank?")

Expressions:
- "Iemand zijn": to be someone (special, important).

Example:
- "Sinds hij een BN'er is geworden, denkt hij echt dat hij iemand is."
("Since he has become a Dutch celebrity, he really thinks he's very important.")

Example:
- "Kijk uit wat je zegt, hij is niet zomaar iemand."
("Mind your words, he's not just anybody.")

Extra:
In interviews, people often start their sentence with "ik ben iemand die..." which means "I am someone who..." followed by features of their character.

Example:
- "<Interviewer:> - Wat voor persoon ben je? <Geïnterviewde:> Ik ben iemand die niet makkelijk opgeeft."
("<Interviewer:> - What type of person are you? <Interviewee:> I am someone who does not give up easily.")

Related words:
- Niemand: nobody, no one [indefinite pronoun].

Fikken

to be on fire, to burn [verb] [fikte, gefikt]

"Fikken" is the informal synonym for "branden" ("to burn") in its translation of "to be on fire". Both "brand" and "fik" mean "fire" (as in "a fire"), but again "fik" would be informal. The noun for the phenomenon "fire" is "vuur". A related verb is "affikken": to burn down/out. They say that Dutch and German are similar, but in this case it is far from true (inside joke for our German readers).

There are a few expressions with the noun "fik" and not the verb, but I have included them below anyway.

Examples:
- "Zo, dat fikt goed!" 
("My, that burns well!")

- "Marcs auto is gisteren bijna afgefikt." 
("Marc's car almost burnt down yesterday.")

- "De ene houtsoort fikt beter dan de andere." 
("The one type of wood burns better than the other.")

Expressions:
- "De fik erin!": burn it (down)!
- "Een fikkie stoken": to start a controlled fire, to set something on fire. This is not your arsonist type of fire but usually kids setting a few things (twigs, garbage etc.) on fire.

Example:
- "Laten we een fikkie gaan stoken!" - "Nee man, dat is veel te gevaarlijk!"
("Let's set something on fire!" - "No man, that is way too dangerous!")

- "In de fik staan": to be on fire. Usually for things, not persons. The formal alternative is "in brand staan".

Related words:
- Branden: [verb] [brandde, gebrand].
- Brand/fik: fire [noun] [de brand/fik, de branden/fikken].
- Vuur: fire [noun] [het vuur, de vuren].
- Lucifer: match [noun] [de lucifer, de lucifers]. You can also use "Lucifer" for Lucifer the devil.
- Afbranden/fikken: to burn down/out [verb] [brandde/fikte af, afgebrand/fikt].

Onzin

nonsense [noun] [de onzin, no plural]

"Onzin" means "nonsense". A synonym very much related to the English translation is "nonsens". The composition of "on-zin" is similar to the English "non-sense". "On" preceding a word usually reverses the meaning of that word. "Zin" can be translated as "sense" but can also be used in many different meanings, such as "phrase", "mood", "mind" or "liking". The adjective/adverb that is related to "onzin" is "onzinnig", which can be translated as "senseless, inept".

Examples:
- "Je praat onzin, houd alsjeblieft je mond." 
("You're talking nonsense, please shut up!")

- "Wat een onzin dat je dat examen niet zou kunnen halen! Natuurlijk kun je het!" 
("What a nonsense that you wouldn't be able to pass that exam! Of course you can do it!")

- "Het is nonsens dat Nederland niets van de kredietcrisis merkt." 
("It is nonsense that the Netherlands isn't affected by the credit crisis." Lit.: "It is nonsense that the Netherlands notices nothing of the credit crisis.")

- "Wat een onzinnig gesprek, dit is zonde van de tijd." 
("What a senseless conversation, this is a waste of a time.")

- "<Plaatje:> In de herfst komen ze binnen; Zin en onzin over spinnen."  ("<Picture:> They enter [your house] in the autumn; Sense and nonsense about spiders.")

- "Ik heb zin om het weekend lekker lang uit te slapen." 
("I feel like sleeping long this weekend.")

- "Sorry, ik heb echt geen zin om uit te gaan." 
("Sorry, I really don't feel like going out.")

- "Heb je slechte zin? " 
("Are you in a bad mood?" Lit.: "Do you have a bad mood?")

Expressions:
- "Klinkklare onzin": outright nonsense.

Example:
- "<Krantenkop:>Transfergeruchten Boulahrouz klinkklare onzin."
("<Newspaper headline:> Transferrumours Boulahrouz blatant nonsense.")

Related words:
- Zin: phrase [noun] [de zin, de zinnen].
- Zin: mood, liking [noun] [de zin, no plural].
- Zin: sense [noun] [de zin, de zinnen].
- Zinnig: sensible [adjective/adverb].
- Onzinnig: senseless, absurd [adjective/adverb].
- Nonsens: nonsense [noun] [de nonsens, no plural].

Sportief

The word "sportief" is used in three common translations. The link with the noun "sport" is obvious.

1. sporty, sports [adverb/adjective]

Here "sportief" is used to describe appearance or character.

Examples:
- "Ik heb afgelopen zaterdag een proefrit gemaakt in een Toyota Prius, maar ik denk dat ik toch voor een sportievere auto ga." 
("I test-drove the Toyota Prius last Saturday, but I think that I prefer / will go for a more sporty car.")

- "Leuk jasje heb je aan, sportief hoor!" 
("Nice jacket! Sporty/casual!")

Related word:
- Sport: sport [noun] [de sport, de sporten]. Also used in the translation of "sports" (the category).

2. sports-loving, fond of sports [adverb/adjective]

Here you can use "sportief" to say that somebody likes to sport or exercise, or that the person is in fact quite fit.

Examples:
- "Madelon gaat een paar keer per week fitnessen. Ze is best wel sportief!" 
("Madelon goes to fitness training a few times a week. She likes to exercise / she is quite fit!")

3. sportsmanlike, sporting [adverb/adjective]

The expression "sportief zijn" is commonly used in the context of this translation. It translates as "to be a good sport (about something)". Along the same lines you can also say "dat is (niet) sportief (van jou)" (something like "that's (not) sportsmanlike (of you)").

Examples:
- "Marc is heel sportief, want hij geeft doorgaans direct zijn fouten toe." 
("Marc is a good sport, because he usually admits his mistakes straight away.")

- "Het gedrag van de supporters was niet bepaald sportief te noemen..." 
("The behaviour of the supporters wasn't quite sportsmanlike..." Lit. : "... couldn't really be called sporting".)

- "Ik zal dit keer de rekening betalen." - "Tof, dat is sportief van je." 
("I will pick up / pay the bill this time." - "Cool. You are being a good sport.")

Expression:
- "Iets sportief opvatten": to take something well/with grace.

Related word:
- Eerlijk: fair [adjective/adverb].

Leuk

nice, funny, amusing, entertaining [adjective]

"Leuk" is used a lot in the Dutch language. It is generally used to positively qualify a situation, person or object. The combination "leuk vinden" (lit.: to find nice/funny) is commonly translated with "to like".

When it comes to liking a person, there are various adverbs to add certain subtleties, e.g.:
- "wel leuk": quite nice.
- "gewoon leuk": just nice.
- "echt leuk" really nice.
- "erg leuk": very/really nice.
- "leuk leuk": nice as in 'really nice'.
- "heel erg leuk": really really nice.
The latter four imply a certain degree of being in love...

Examples:
- "Leuk horloge! Nieuw?" 
("Nice watch! New?")

- "Ik heb 'Kung-Fu Panda' gezien tijdens mijn vlucht van Amsterdam naar Lima. Erg leuk!" 
("I saw 'Kung-Fu Panda' during my flight from Amsterdam to Lima. Very funny!")

- "Hoe vond je het feest?" - "Het was uitermate leuk, dankjewel!"
("What did you think of the party" - "It was extremely entertaining, thank you!)

- "Vanochtend is de hele uitlaat van mijn auto eraf gevallen!" - "Ai, dat is niet leuk, Marc..."
("This morning the entire exhaust of my car fell off!" - "Ouch, that's not funny, Marc...")

- "Suzanne is een leuke meid, niet?" - "Ja, ik vind haar wel leuk" - "Leuk leuk?" - "Nee, gewoon leuk..."
("Suzanne is a nice girl, isn't she?" - "Yes, I quite like her." - "Like as in 'really like'?" - "No, I just like her...")

Expressions:
- "Leuk is anders": <ironic> That's is not very nice. Lit.: Nice is different.

Example:
- "Mijn aandelen zijn vandaag met meer dan 50 procent gedaald." - "Leuk is anders..."
("My shares have dropped more than 50 percent today." - "That's not very nice...")

- "Het is leuk geweest": Enough is enough. Lit.: It's been nice.

Example:
- "Zullen we nog een afzakkertje nemen?" - "Nee ik ga naar huis, het is leuk geweest."
("Shall we have one for the road?" - "No, I'm going home, enough is enough...")

- "Leuk hoor": <ironic> really nice.
- "Jij bent zeker de leukste thuis.": <ironic reply> You really think that you are funny, don't you? Lit.: You must be the funniest (person) at home.

Related words:
- Vermakelijk: entertaining [adjective].
- Tof: great, cool [adjective].
- Gaaf: awesome, great [adjective].
- Prachtig: beautiful [adjective].

Tuig

1. scum [noun] [het tuig, no plural]

"Tuig" has several meanings. It is most commonly used to describe a group of scumbags. It can also be used as an adjective (see Examples). In the seventies, the expression "langharig werkschuw tuig" ("long-haired workshy riff-raff") was used frequently to describe everyone who wasn't willing to work or had a different interpretation of working (musicians, etc.). Nowadays, every Dutch person will still understand what you mean.

Examples:
-" Mijn buurvrouw hoopt dat het kraakverbod wordt aangenomen. Ze vindt alle krakers werkschuw tuig." 
(" My neighbour hopes that the law prohibiting squatting will pass. She thinks all squatters are workshy scum.")

-"Dat tuig heeft in alle auto's in mijn straat ingebroken." 
("Those scumbags broke in in all cars in my street.")

- "Hij heeft dat arme omaatje zomaar in haar gezicht geslagen. Hij is tuig." 
("He beat that poor little grandma in her face just like that. He is scum." Please note that "omaatje" is the dimunitive of "oma".)

Expressions:
- "Tuig van de richel": scum of the earth. Lit.: scum of the (l)edge.

Example: 
- "Hooligans zijn echt tuig van de richel".
("Hooligans are really the scum of the earth".)

The picture belongs to a Hyves-group with the name "Tuig van de richel".

Extra:
Related verbs are "optuigen" and "aftuigen". Both verbs were originally (and still are) used in the sense of "to harness" and "to unharness" a horse. Although the verb "aftuigen" is still used in this sense, nowadays, its most common use is "to beat up someone". "Optuigen" can also be used in the meaning "to decorate".

Examples:
- "Ik ga de kerstboom optuigen, haal jij de ballen?"
("I am going to decorate the Christmas tree, will you fetch the baubles?")
- "Dat tuig heeft gisteren mijn buurman afgetuigd."
("That scum beat up my neighbour yesterday.")

2. harness [noun] [het tuig, no plural]

The second meaning of "tuig" is "harness" that you put on your horse (see picture).

Examples:
-" Ik heb een nieuw tuig voor mijn paard gekocht."
("I bought a new harness for my horse.")

-" Een blindengeleidehonde heeft vaak ook een tuigje om zodat zijn baas zijn bewegingen kan volgen."
("A guide dog (for the blind) also often has a harness so that his boss can follow his movements." Please note that "blindengeleidehond" literally means "blind-guidance-dog".)

Related words:
- Optuigen: to harness, to decorate [verb] [tuigde op, opgetuigd].
- Aftuigen: to unharness, to beat up [verb] [tuigde af, afgetuigd].
- Werktuig: equipment [noun] [het werktuig, de werktuigen].

Verneukeratief

deceptive, tricky [adjective]

"Verneukeratief" is truly a brilliant Dutch word and very much suited for the informal Friday :-) You may think it is a vulgar word, because it contains "neuk", from "neuken", which translates to "to f*ck"... "Verneukeratief" is not vulgar though, although its use is quite informal.

But be carefull!...The related verb "verneuken" is pretty vulgar, since it translates to "to f*ck up"...

Examples:
- "Dit contract is erg verneukeratief. Lees de kleine lettertjes maar..." 
("This contract is very deceptive. Just read the disclaimer..." Lit.: "Just read the little letters..." see Extra)

- "Het verneukeratieve van het internet is dat je nooit zeker weet of informatie echt waar is." 
("The tricky thing about the internet is that you never know for sure whether information is actually true.")

- "Advertentiefoto's zijn vaak verneukeratief: het product op de foto is altijd prachtig, maar in het echt valt het tegen." 
("Advertising pictures are often deceptive: the product in the picture is always beautiful, but the real thing is disappointing.")

Expressions:
- "Iemand ergens in laten lopen": to play a trick on somebody.

Related words:
- Bedrieglijk: deceptive [adjective].
- Tricky: tricky [adjective].
- Verneuken: to f*ck up [verb] [verneukte, verneukt].

Example:
- "Frank heeft de hele presentatie verneukt."
("Frank has f*ucked up the entire presentation.")

- Misleidend: misleading [adjective].
- Vals: fake, fraudulent [adjective].

Extra:
"De kleine lettertjes" (lit.: the little letters) is commonly used as a metaphor for the disclaimer(s) in a contract, which are often printed in a smaller font than then the font of the contract's actual text. "De kleine lettertjes" are often associated with a sense of fraud....

Prachtig

beautiful, gorgeous, splendid, exquisite [adjective, adverb] 

"Prachtig" means "beautiful" and can apply to almost everything: people, an event or experience, feelings, and things (but not, for instance, to food which is " lekker" or "heerlijk"). Please note that "mooi" also means beautiful. "Prachtig" however is even better than mooi and has no comparative or superlative.

Examples:
-"Wat een prachtige zonsondergang!" 
("What a beautiful sunset!")

-"Ik heb prachtige schoenen gekocht bij Massimo Dutti!" 
("I bought beautiful shoes at Massimo Dutti.")

- "Heb je ooit zo'n prachtige vrouw gezien? Ik ben tot over mijn oren verliefd op haar!" 
("Have you ever seen such a beautiful woman? I'm head over heels in love with her!")

- "Uitverkoop? Nederlanders vinden het prachtig! Kijk maar naar de 'Drie Dwaze Dagen' in de Bijenkorf...die zijn vandaag weer begonnen..." 
("Bargain sale? The Dutch just love it! Just take a look at the 'Drie Dwaze Dagen' at Bijenkorf...they've started again today...")

- "Ik vind Rio de Janeiro een prachtige stad."  - "Vind je? Ik vind Buenos Aires mooier." 
("I find Rio de Janeiro a beautiful city." - "Do you think so? I think Buenos Aires is more beautiful.")

- "Ik zag 'Adam' van Barnett Newman laatst in het Tate museum; wat een prachtig schilderij!" 
("I saw 'Adam' by Barnett Newman in the Tate museum the other day; what an exquisite painting!")

- "Zie ik er mooi uit?" - "Je ziet er prachtig uit!" 
("Do I look beautiful?" - "You look gorgeous")

- "Wat vond u van de dansvoorstelling?" - "Prachtig, prachtig! Ik heb nog nooit zo'n prachtige choreografie gezien!"
("What did you think of the ballet performance?" - "Marvellous, marvellous!! I've never seen such a magnificent choreography")

Related words:
- Mooi: beautiful [adjective, adverb] [comparative: mooier, superlative: mooist].

Straks

in a while/moment, soon, later [adverb]

You will often hear "straks" in the expression "tot straks": see you soon/later/in a while. There are subtle differences between "tot ziens", "tot straks", "tot zo" etc. and these can be difficult to grasp at first. See the Extra for an explanation. Don't mistake "straks" for "strak" which means "tight".

An informal variation of straks is "strakjes" or (even more informal): "strakkies".

Examples:
- "En nu je troep opruimen!" - "Jahaa, straks..." - "Nee, niet straks, nu!!" 
("And now you are going to clean up your mess!" - "Yeah yeah, in a while..." - "No, not in a while, now!!")

- "We gaan straks in de stad koffie drinken. Heb je zin om mee te gaan?" 
("We are going downtown to drink coffee in a while. Do you feel like coming along?")

- "Ik denk dat het straks gaat regenen, dus ik neem alvast mijn paraplu mee."
("I think it will rain later, so I will bring my umbrella just now.")

Related words:
- Dadelijk: like "straks" but usually a little 'sooner than' "straks" [adverb]. You will also hear "dalijk".
- Zo: in a bit, in a short while [adverb].

Example:
- "Ik ga zo naar huis, kan ik je nog ergens mee helpen?"
("I'm going home in a bit, is there something I can help you with before I go?" Here the "nog" is translated with "before I go".)

Extra:
If you plan on meeting somebody the same day and it will not be too long from the moment of departing, you can say "tot straks". If you know it will be a different part of the day (as in afternoon, evening etc.) you can be more specific by saying "tot vanavond/vanmiddag" etc. If you know you are going to see eachother again really soon (as in within a few minutes) you can say "tot zo". If you want to express the (polite) wish to meet again, you can say "tot ziens", this is also the normal polite way to say goodbye.

You might also hear "tot dadelijk" (somewhere inbetween "zo" and "straks"), "tot zometeen" (same as "tot zo"), "tot binnenkort" ("see you soon" when you know you will meet again soon), "tot snel" (same as "binnenkort" but can also be used to express the wish of meeting soon again), and finally "tot gauw" (like "tot snel"). But probably this list is not complete! :-)

Zetten

to put, to place, to set [verb] [zette, gezet]

"Zetten" is a versatile word. We've given three possible translations. There are more translations that you can use though, depending on context. A variety is covered in the Examples. The related noun is "zet", which translates to "move", see the Related words.

Don't confuse "zetten" with "zitten", which translates to "to sit".

Examples:
-"Liefie, kun je de bloemen op tafel zetten?" 
("Sweetie, can you put the flowers on the table?")

- "Waar heb je mijn fiets gezet?" - "Daar...tegen die boom."
("Where did you put my bike?" - "There...against that tree.")

- "U kunt hier uw handtekening zetten.")
("You can place your signature here.")

- "Zet de wekker maar op half acht, dan kunnen we relaxed ontbijten."
("Just set the alarm clock for seven thirty, then we'll be able to have a relaxed breakfast.")

- "Zal ik koffie zetten? Of heb je liever thee?"
("Shall I make coffee? Or would you rather have tea?")

- "Zoveel honger in de wereld... dat zet je aan het denken, toch?"
("So much starvation in the world...it makes you think, right?" Lit.: "...it puts you to think...")

- "Heb je het al gehoord? Franks vriendin heeft een aarsgewei laten zetten!!" 
("Have you heard already?? Frank's girlfriend has gotten an ass cap!!" Lit.: ...has let (the tattooguy [impl.]) put an ass cap (on her [impl.])...")

Expressions:
- "Iemand een hak zetten": to put a spoke in someone's wheel. Lit.: to place someone a cut.

Example:
- "Kabelbedrijven zetten KPN een hak met snel internet."
("Cable companies put a spoke in KPN's wheel with fast internet." Note: KPN is the former national incumbent Dutch telecommunication company. It used to be owned by the state, privatized since 1989.)

- "De/Je hakken in het zand zetten": to put up (a) resistance. Lit.: to put the/your heels in the sand. See also Schoen.
- "De bloemetjes buiten zetten": to party, to go wild. Lit.: to put the flowers outside.
- "Te kakken zetten": (informal) to ridicule, to mock. Lit.: to set to poop.

Related words:
- Zitten: to sit [verb] [zat, gezeten].
- Zet: move [noun] [de zet, de zetten].

Example:
- "Dat was een meesterlijke zet van zwart...wit staat schaakmat."
("That was a masterly move by black...white stands checkmate.")

- Gezet: corpulent, stout [adjective].
- "Ontzet": aghast, dismayed at/by [adjective]. Lit. displaced.

Schoen

shoe [noun] [de schoen, de schoenen]

Alright, let's brush up on your shoe vocabulary here! It turns out that there is a lot to say about shoes in Dutch!

Look at your shoe (if you are wearing one) and repeat after me: schoen ("shoe"), zool ("sole"), veters ("(shoe)laces") and hak ("heel"). Now do you need some "schoenpoets" ("shoe polish"), or are you wearing "sportschoenen" ("running shoes", "trainers" etc.)? Possibly even "sneakers" ("sneakers")? What about "sandalen" ("sandals"), or "laarzen" ("boots"). Or do you prefer to go about "blootsvoets" ("bare foot(ed)")? (Which I don't recommend if you have "zweetkakkies" :-) )

Now let's look at some Examples, and don't forget the Expressions (of which only a few are listed. Check out the dictionary to find more!).

Examples:
- "Ik kan mijn schoenen nergens vinden!"
("I can't find my shoes anywhere!")

- "Morgenochtend heb ik een belangrijke presentatie dus ik moet mijn schoenen maar eens gaan poetsen."
("Tomorrow morning I have an important presentation so I guess I have to (go and) polish my shoes.")

- "Sinterklaas kapoentje, gooi wat in mijn schoentje..."
("Sinterklaas kapoentje, throw something in my shoe..." Line from children's "Sinterklaas" song.)

- "Over het algemeen draag ik geen nette schoenen, alleen als het echt moet!"
("In general I do not wear dress shoes, only if absolutely necessary!")

- "Mevrouw, heeft u deze schoen in maat 42?"
("Miss/Madam, do you have this shoe in size 42?")

- "Laarzen, schoenen of sandalen, maakt niet uit, een ding is zeker: mijn vriendin heeft er te veel!"
("Boots, shoes or sandales, it doesn't matter, one thing is for sure: my girlfriend has too many of them!" Note that here you have to write "te veel" and not "teveel", the latter being a noun: "surplus" ("het teveel"). By the way, this is done wrong by almost the entire Dutch population including journalists.)

Expressions:
- "Naast je schoenen lopen": literally "to walk next to your shoes", this says you're to big for your boots (or full of conceit).
- "Stevig in je schoenen staan": to stand firm, to be sure of oneself.
- "Ik zou niet graag in zijn/haar schoenen willen staan": I wouldn't like to be in his/her shoes.
- "Wie de schoen past, trekke hem aan": if the cap/shoe fits, wear it. Note that this is an example of the rare usage of the subjunctive in Dutch.
- "De stoute schoenen aantrekken": to do something that requires you to gather courage first, to pluck up one's courage.

Example:
- "Weet je wat, ik trek de stoute schoenen aan, ik ga haar nu mee uit vragen."
("You know what, I'll pluck up my courage, I'm going to ask her out right now.")

- "De schoen zetten": 'to place/put your shoe' this is the act of leaving your shoe somewhere hoping that Sinterklaas will leave you some candy (in your shoe).

Related words:
- (Schoen)veter: (shoe)lace [noun] [de veter, de veters].
- Laars: boot [noun] [de laarzen, de laarzen].
- Hak: heel [noun] [de hak, de hakken]. Note that in case of the heel of a foot, we say "hiel".
- Sandaal: sandal [noun] [de sandalen, de sandalen].
- Schoenen poetsen: to polish (shoes) [verb] [poetste, gepoetst].
- Schoenpoets: shoe polish [noun] [de schoenpoets, no plural].
- Schoenmaat: shoe size [noun] [de maat, de maten].
- Schoenlepel: shoehorn [noun] [de lepel, de lepels]. Note that a "lepel" is a spoon.
- Schoenenzaak: shoe shop/store [noun] [de zaak, de zaken].
- Handschoen: glove.

Extra:
When you need your shoes to be mended/repaired, you will have to find a "schoenmaker" ("shoemaker") or a "schoenmakerij" (the -ij indicates that it is a place 'where shoes are made'). Nowadays, they don't make shoes anymore so the common translation is that of a shoe repairman.
A "schoenmaker" is also typically the place where you'd go to have a copy made of a key.

Unfortunately there are not many traditional "schoenmakers" left and it can be difficult to find value for money. A bad example in this aspect is the "Hakkenbar" chain you will find in most bigger cities in the Netherlands. I only mention it here because the word itself is interesting: with a "hak" being the heel of the shoe, and "bar" the "bar" where you would hand over the shoes, this is an obvious choice of assonance.

Matsen

to give someone a break, to do someone a favour [verb] [matste, gematst]

"Matsen" is Bargoens, the former Dutch thieves' cant. Whether "matsen" is also from Yiddish origin - like "gozer" - was unknown at the time of publication of this DWOTD...readers are kindly requested to post ethymological information :-)

"Matsen" is used informally, and originally meant to cheat or to mess with. It is now used in a more positive sense: to settle/arrange something for someone outside the 'normal' path via which things should be arranged, see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Gozer, ik krijg nog 57 euro van je, maar ik zal je matsen: 50 is prima."
("Dude, you still owe me 57 euros, but I'll give you a break: 50 is fine.")

- "Hoe kan die loser de finale van Dancing With The Stars bereikt hebben?? De jury heeft hem ongelofelijk gematst!"
("How could this loser reach the final of Dancing With The Stars?? The jury has given him a huge break!")

- "<agent:> Ik moet u helaas een bekeuring geven. U reed te hard." - "<overtreder:> Ach, kunt u me niet voor één keer matsen?"
("<officer:> I'm afraid I'm gonna have to give you a ticket. You were speeding." - "<perpetrator:> Ah, can't you just give me a break just once?")

Expressions:
- "Door de vingers zien." See also Extra.
("To give someone a break".)

- "Een oogje dichtknijpen."
("To turn a blind eye to someone/something".)

Related words:
- "Geluk": luck.
- "Mazzel": luck.
- "Voortrekken": to favour.

Extra:
Check out this funny video of a commercial of a Dutch temporary employment agency. In the end of the commercial, the expression "For this time I'll see it through the fingers" is used, which is the literal translation of "Ik zie het voor deze keer door de vingers": I'll give you a break this time...

Begin

start, beginning [noun] [het begin, no plural]

"Begin" is used very frequently in Dutch. The related verb is "beginnen" ("to start") and someone who is just starting at something is called a "beginner" or, slightly more old-fashioned, a "beginneling". Check out the Examples on how to begin!

Examples:
- "In het begin voelde ik me niet erg thuis in Nederland, maar na een tijdje begon ik het leuk te  vinden."
("In the beginning I didn't feel very much at home in The Netherlands, but after a while I started to appreciate it".)

- "Het begin van de wedstrijd was ongelofelijk saai maar in de tweede helft scoorde Manchester United twee keer."
("The start of the match was incredibly boring but in the second half Manchester United scored twice.")

- " Ik heb je zoveel te vertellen na al die jaren, ik weet niet waar ik moet beginnen!" - "Begin maar bij het begin! "
("I have so much to tell you after all these years, I don't know where to start!" - "Why don't you start at the beginning!")

- "Ga je eind of begin december op vakantie? - Ik ga begin december; kerst vier ik liever thuis."
("Are you going on a vacation in the end or in the beginning of December? - I'm going early December; I prefer to celebrate Christmas at home.")

- "Volg je de talencursus Spaans voor beginners of voor gevorderden?"
("Are you taking the beginner or advanced Spanish language course?" Lit.: "Are you following the language course Spanish for beginners or advanced students?")

- "Bedankt voor je hulp! Ik weet niet wat ik zonder jou had moeten beginnen!"
("Thanks for your help! I don't know what I should have done without you!")

- "Iedere Amerikaanse zakenbank redden van faillisement? Nee, daar kunnen we echt niet aan beginnen!"
("Saving every US investment bank from bankruptcy? No, there's no way we can do that!")

- "Er is niks met hem te beginnen, hij wil per se niet meer naar school gaan."
("He's unmanageable, he insists he won't go to school anymore.")

Expressions:
- "Alle begin is moeilijk."
("The first step is the hardest". Lit.: "All beginning is difficult".)

- "Een goed begin is het halve werk."
("The first blow is half the battle". Lit.: "A good start is half the work".)

Related words:
- Beginner: starter [noun] [de beginner, de beginners]
- Beginneling: beginner [noun] [de beginneling, de beginnelingen]
- Beginnen: to start [verb] [begon, begonnen]
- Gevorderd: advanced [adjective, adverb]

Autovrij

carless [adjective]

"Autovrij" is composed of "auto" and "vrij", the latter translates as "free". A more literal translation of "carless" exists in Dutch, that is "autoloos". A subtle distinction might exist in that the ending "vrij" can indicate a temporary state, whereas "loos" in general means "without".

You will typically encounter "autovrij" in the combination "autovrije zondag" ("carless Sunday"). Read more about it in the Extra.

Examples:
- "Autovrije zondag? Man, dat is toch te bezopen voor woorden!"
("Carless Sunday? Man, surely that is insane!" Literally: "Man, that is too pissed/sloshed for words!" Here the drunk state of "bezopen" (from the verb "zuipen") is used in the translation of daft/crazy/ridiculous. This expression was actually used by a driver who wasn't allowed to enter Amsterdam last Sunday: she says it twice, at the beginning of the following videofragment and at the end of the news item (wait for the commercial to finish).)

- "Ik vind de autovrije zondag een goed initiatief, maar ja, ik heb toch geen auto dus..."
("I think the "autovrije zondag" is a good initiative, but then again, I don't own a car anyway so...")

- "Ook op een autovrije zondag blijft het link om door Amsterdam te fietsen met al die toeristen die zomaar oversteken!"
("Even on a "autovrije zondag" it remains risky to cycle through Amsterdam with all those tourists who cross the road just like that!" Note the verb "oversteken": whatever your cross is already implied.)

Related words:
- Autoluw: low-traffic, restricted traffic [adjective].
- Binnenstad: city centre [noun] [de stad, de steden]. Literally: "inner-town/city".
- Voetganger: pedestrian [noun] [de voetganger, de voetgangers]. Literally: "foot goer".
- Milieu: environment [noun] [het milieu, no plural]. There is a plural in the translation of "social environment": de milieus.

Extra:
Last Sunday it was "autovrije zondag" in a number of cities and towns in the Netherlands, including Amsterdam. Cars were allowed to leave town, but couldn't enter between 9 AM and 5 PM. Of course this led to problems when people wanted to return to their homes. However, contrary to last year, it didn't lead to drivers assaulting traffic wardens.
The other usage of "autovrij" is when speaking of a pedestrian zone; here you will hear "autovrije binnenstad" (carless city centre) and you can use "autovrije zone", but in case of the latter it is more common to say "voetgangersgebied" ("pedestrian area"). Note that a "voetgangersgebied" can mean that no cyclists are allowed!

The intent is to make "autovrije zondag" a tradition to be repeated annually. Goals are to make people aware of the environment, to stimulate people to think about alternative transport, and just to allow people to have a good time by being able to organize events that become possible in the absence of cars. Note that we once had a real "autoloze zondag" in the seventies during the oil crisis.

Elkaar

each other, one another [adverb]

"Elkaar" usually means "each other" or "one another". However, the meaning often depends on the preposition. Almost any preposition can be combined with "elkaar" (please see Examples). A related word, "mekaar", is used more often in spoken Dutch, and often refers to two people instead of a larger group. "Elkaar" can refer to both two people /things and a larger number of people / things. 

Examples:
- "Ze leken altijd zo gek op elkaar, maar toch zijn ze na een relatie van tien jaar uit elkaar gegaan."  - "Dat meen je niet! Ze passen zo goed bij elkaar!"
("They always seemed to be crazy about each other, but still they split up after a relationship that lasted ten years. - No way! They are such a great couple!")

- "We komen er wel uit met elkaar."
("We'll sort it out together.")

- "De bergbeklimmer zakte in elkaar van vermoeidheid toen hij de top had bereikt."
("The mountain climber collapsed of fatigue when he had reached the peak.")

- "Ik snap er niks van: de puzzelstukjes passen maar niet in elkaar."
("I can't make any sense of it: the parts of the puzzle don't seem to fit [in each other].")

- "Laten we beginnen met naar elkaar te luisteren."
("Let's start by listening to each other.")

- "De serveerster stapelde zoveel borden op elkaar dat ze in elkaar zakte onder het gewicht."
("The waitress stagged so many plates on top of each other that she collapsed under the weight.")

- "Laten we mekaar niet voor de gek houden."
("Let's not fool each other." Lit: "Let's not take each other for a fool".)

Related words:
- Mekaar: each other, one another [adverb].

Mager

"Mager" has three common translations related to body volume, quality or food.

1. slim, thin, skinny [adjective/adverb]

This is the most common translation of "mager": the opposite of "fat". We also say "dun" ("thin"), but "mager" is 'thinner than thin' and is more associated with not eating enough.

Examples:
- "Een collegaatje van mij is zo mager, we vragen ons af of ze wel goed eet!"
("A (female) colleague of mine is so thin, we wonder whether or not she eats properly!")

- "Veel sporten is goed voor de lijn, maar je moet niet te mager worden."
("Exercising often is good for the figure, but you shouln't become too skinny.")

- "Kate Moss dun? Mager zal je bedoelen!"
("Kate Moss thin? You must mean skinny!")

Related words:
- Broodmager: scrawny [adjective].
- Dun: thin [adjective/adverb].
- Dik: fat [adjective/adverb].
- Afvallen: to lose weight [verb] [viel af, afgevallen].
- Aankomen: to gain weight [verb] [kwam aan, aangekomen].
- Dieet: diet [noun] [het dieet, de diëten].

2. feeble, weak, poor [adjective/adverb]

You can also use "mager" to indicate low quality or poor performance.

An interesting development in the Dutch language is that we sometimes create an informal version of an adjective by turning it into what I can best describe as a "plural diminutive". Which is weird for an adjective! :-) So in this case you could say that something is "magertjes". See the examples. You might also hear it applied in the first translation above. Other examples of this phenomenon are "zachtjes" (quietly) or "eventjes" (for a short while).

Examples:
- "Ik vond de bijdrage van Frank wat magertjes. Normaal gesproken levert hij betere kwaliteit!"
("I found Frank's contribution quite poor. Usually he provides better quality!")

- "Wat een mager excuus, hij wist toch al lang dat hij dat weekend vrij moest houden in zijn agenda!"
("What a feeble excuse, surely he has known for a long time that he was supposed to block that weekend off in his calendar!" Note that Dutch people use the word "agenda" for a diary, organizer or (pocket) calendar. So don't be sruprised when they go and "check their agenda". The Dutch like to use the English word "weekend" but we have a perfectly acceptable Dutch word for that which is "weekeinde".)

Related words:
- Matig: moderate, mediocre [adjective/adverb].
- Kwaliteit: quality [noun] [de kwaliteit, de kwaliteiten].

3. lean, meagre [adjective/adverb]

You might prefer "skimmed" milk over "semi-skimmed" milk. In the Netherlands you would then buy "magere melk" instead of "halfvolle melk". Note that "halfvol" literally means "half full". If a Dutch person ever asks you about "full milk", then probably he or she means "whole milk".

Regarding food you might hear "magere kost" ("lean fare") or "mager vlees" ("lean meat").

Vanzelfsprekend

self-evident, evidently, naturally [adjective/adverb]

Just a short DWOTD today, but you can use it to show your sophistication when impressing someone, e.g. your Dutch boss or manager :-)

The use of "vanzelfsprekend" is quite formal. Less formal are the (more or less) synonomous "natuurlijk" (naturally), "okee" (okay) and "uiteraard" (naturally).

Examples:
- "Het is vanzelfsprekend dat men oudere mensen met 'u' aanspreekt."
("It is self-evident that one addresses elderly people with 'u'.")

- "Tegenwoordig is veiligheid op straat niet meer vanzelfsprekend, vriend."
("Nowadays, you can't take safety in the streets for granted anymore, pal.")

- "Pardon, kunt u mijn koffers naar mijn kamer laten brengen?" - "Vanzelfsprekend mijnheer."
("Pardon, can you have my suitcases brought to my room?" - "Naturally, sir.")

- "Frank, ik wil dat rapport vandaag nog op mijn buro!" - "Vanzelfsprekend baas..."
("Frank, I want that report on my desk today!" - "That goes without saying boss..."

Related words:
- "Vanzelfsprekendheid": matter of course [noun] [de vanzelfsprekendheid, de vanzelfsprekendheden].
- "Uiteraard": naturally [adverb].
- "Logisch": logical. [adjective]

Koets

coach, carriage [noun] [de koets, de koetsen]

Today, the third Tuesday of September, is called "Prinsjesdag" ("Day of the little princes"). "Prinsjesdag" marks the opening of the Dutch parliamentary year and the day on which the government makes public the national budget for the coming year. The Queen will read her "troonrede" ("speech from the throne") in the "Ridderzaal" ("Room of the knight") outlining the government's plans for the coming year. The Queen traditionally arrives at the "Ridderzaal" in the golden coach. This coach, offered by the people of Amsterdam to the Queen's grandmother in 1898, is used only on "Prinsjesdag" since 1903.

Examples:
- "In het sprookje 'Assepoester' verandert de fee een pompoen in een gouden koets."
("In the fairytale 'Cinderella' the fairy changes a pumpkin into a gilded coach".)

- "De koningin zwaait vanuit de gouden koets naar de menigte."
("The Queen waves from the golden coach at the crowd.")

- "De gouden koets wordt getrokken door acht paarden."
("The golden coach is pulled forward by eigth horses.")

- "Koningin Beatrix arriveert op het Binnenhof waar zij om half twee de Troonrede zal voorlezen in de Ridderzaal."
("Queen Beatrix arrives at the 'Binnenhof' where she will read the speech from the throne at 1.30 PM in the 'Ridderzaal' .")

Extra:
The document in which the National Budget is presented is called the 'Miljoenennota', literally translated as the 'Document of the Millions'. The Minister of Finance gives both the National Budget and the 'Miljoenennota' in a golden suitcase to the (Dutch) Lower Chamber. 

Related words:
- Koetspaard: coach horse [noun] [het koetspaard, de koetspaarden].
- Koetsier: coach driver [noun] [de koetsier, de koetsiers].
- Troonrede: speech from the throne [noun] [de troonrede, de troonredes].
- Koningin: queen [noun] [de koningin, de koninginnen].
- Begroting: budget [noun] [de begroting, de begrotingen].

Hoteldebotel

swept off one's feet, smitten with, enamored of [adjective]   

"Hoteldebotel" has nothing to do with a hotel :-) It is used to describe your thoughts being confused, mostly by the fact that you're in love...
Sometimes it is used to refer to a more general discombobulated state, see the last example.

Examples:
- "Luc is helemaal hoteldebotel..." - "Echt?? Van wie?" - "Van Mélanie!"
("Luc is completely swept of his feet..." - "Really?? By whom?" - "By Mélanie!")

- "Scheetje, wat ben je toch een lekker ding! Ik ben helemaal hoteldebotel van je..."
("Baby, you're such a hottie! You've totally swept me of my feet..."

- "Kent is hoteldebotel van Lara. En zij is hoteldebotel van hem!"
("Kent is smitten with Lara. And she's enamored of him!")

- "Al die auto's in Lima...ik werd er helemaal hoteldebotel van..."
("All those cars in Lima...they drove me totally crazy...")

Expressions:
- "Hij/zij is helemaal in de wolken."
("His/her head is the clouds.")

Related words:
- "Tureluurs": totally confused/disoriented, crazy.
- "Verliefd": in love.

Wijn

wine [noun] [de wijn, de wijnen]

The Dutch word for wine is similar to the English: "wijn". The dimunitive of "wijn" is commonly used to refer to a glass of wine: "een wijntje".

Examples:
- "Ik ga vanavond lekker in de zon zitten met een glas wijn."
("I'm going to sit in the sun tonight and enjoy a glass of wine".)

- "Ter ere van zijn promotie hebben we een wijnproeverij georganiseerd."
("In honour of his job promotion we organised a wine tasting.")

- "<Ober:> De huiswijn serveren we per glas of karaf; de andere wijnen worden per fles geserveerd."
("<Waiter:> We serve the house wine per glass of carafe; the other wines are served per bottle.")

- "Prosecco is een mousserende witte wijn."
("Prosecco is a sparkling white wine.")

- "Ik heb een kater van die wijn van gister: wat een Chateau Migraine!"
("I have a hangover due to that wine yesterday: wat a god-awful wine!" Please note that chateau migraine is a joke referring to a fictive French vineyard literally translated as "Castle Migrain".)

- "De serveerster struikelde en liet het dienblad met wijnglazen in de gracht vallen."
("The waitress tripped and dropped the tray with wine glasses in the canal.")

- "Wat wil je drinken? Een wit wijntje, een rood wijntje of een rosé'tje."
("What would you like to drink? A glass of white wine, a glass of red wine or a glass of rosé wine?")

Expressions:
- "Bier na wijn geeft venijn; wijn na bier geeft plezier."
("Drinking beer after wine will make you feel ill; wine after beer will give pleasure".)

Oddly, there is no agreement in Europe about the truth of this saying. The Germans have a saying that agrees with the Dutch saying, but the British tend to reverse it:
"Beer after wine, and you’ll feel fine, wine after beer and you’ll feel queer".

Related words:
- Wijngaard: vineyard [noun] [de wijngaard, de wijngaarden].
- Wijnproeverij: wine tasting [noun] [de wijnproeverij, de wijnproeverijen].
- Wijnglas: wine glass [noun] [het wijnglas, de wijnglazen].
- Wijnazijn: wine vinegar [noun] [de wijnazijn, no plural].

Vriend

friend [noun] [de vriend, de vrienden]

The translation is obvious and the usage is obvious, however... This noun is a typical example of a noun of which the diminutive has a specific meaning. "Vriendje" is used for a friend of a small boy (if also small of course), but also for a "boyfriend"... The same is true when "vriend" is used with a possessive pronoun, e.g. "mijn".
If you want to avoid strange looks don't say "dit is mijn vriend",  when you mean to say "this is a friend of mine", but say "dit is een vriend van mij" instead. Note that in fact "dit is mijn vriend" translates to "this is my friend" so grammatically there is no issue :-)

This subtlety also exists with the female version: "vriendin".

"Vriend" can also be used in the meaning of "mate" or "dude". See also DWOTD Makker.

Examples:
- "Mag ik je aan mijn vriend voorstellen?"
("May I introduce you to my boyfriend?")

- "Ik durf het bijna niet te vragen, maar ben jij nu mijn vriendje?"
("I'm a bit shy to ask, but are you now my boyfriend?")

- "Dit is een vriend van mij. Ik ken hem nog van vroeger."
("This is a friend of mine. We've been friends since we were young / We've been friends for a long time." Literally: I know him from the old days.)

- "Dit is mijn vriend. Eh, ik bedoel, dit is een vriend van mij."
("This is my (boy)friend. Err, I mean, this is a friend of mine.")

- "Als je wint, heb je vrienden."
("When you win, you have friends." Line from the song "Als je wint" by "Doe Maar", a famous Dutch eighties ska/reggae/pop band.)

- "Op deze manier maak je geen vrienden gast, ik zou maar even dimmen als ik jou was!"
("You don't make yourself popular this way mate, I would take it a little easier if I were you!" Literally: "This way you don't make friends...")

Related words:
- Vriendelijk: friendly [adverb/adjective].
- Vriendschappelijk: friendly, amicable [adverb/adjective] (as in "a friendly match").
- Maat/maatje/makker: popular slang synonyms for "vriend" [noun] [de maat/het maatje/de makker, de maatjes/de makkers].
- Vriendschap: friendship [noun] [de vriendschap, no plural].

Example:
- "Een keer trek je de conclusie, vriendschap is een illusie."
("One time you will draw the conclusion, friendschip is an illusion." Famous line from the song "Vriendschap" by the Dutch eighties band "Het goede doel".)

Extra:
Toon Hermans was a Dutch comedian who was very popular in the fifties and sixties. He wrote the well-known poem "Vriend". You might see it on a "wc-tegeltje" if you visit elderly Dutch people. It goes:

"Je hebt iemand nodig, stil en oprecht,
Die als het erop aankomt, voor je bidt of voor je vecht.
Pas als je iemand hebt, die met je lacht en met je grient,
Dan pas kun je zeggen, ik heb een vriend."

Some help on the translation: "oprecht" translates to "sincere". The verb "grienen" is a synonym for "huilen", but is not used much anymore.

Ellende

misery, distress [noun] [de ellende, <no plural>] 

In Dutch, "ellende" does not always have a weighty connotation (e.g. like in "the misery of war...") . Also the insignificant occurrences of life's distress are referred to as "ellende", see the Examples.

Examples:
- "Ik word echt chagrijnig van alle ellende in deze wereld..."
("All the misery in this world really makes me cranky..." Lit.: "I really get cranky because of all the misery in this world...")

- "Het Nederlands elftal heeft afgelopen zaterdag verloren van Australië...ellende..."
("The Dutch were beaten by Australia last Saturday...misery...")

- "Eerst kreeg ik een lekke band, daarna begon het te regenen." - "Jongen, wat een ellende!"
("First I got a flat tyre, then it started to rain." - "Dude, what a distress!")

Expressions:
- "Na regen komt zonneschijn": After rain comes sunshine.

Related words:
- "Balen": to be fed up with.
- "Belabberd": lousy, terrible, miserable.
- "Ellendig": [adjective] miserable.
- "Ellendeling": [noun] [de ellendeling, de ellendelingen] wretch, villain.

Ding

thing [noun] [het ding, de dingen]

The use of "ding" in Dutch is almost identical as the use of "thing" English.

Examples:
- "Zie je dat rare ding? Wat is dat?"
("Do you see that funny thing? What's that?")

- "Ik heb veel dingen gezien, maar dit slaat nergens op!"
("I've seen many things, but this makes no sense at all!")

- "Doe je ding!"
("Do your thing!")

- "Dat meisje is helemaal doorweekt." - "Arm ding."
("That girl is completely soaked." - "Poor thing.")

Expressions:
- "Lekker ding": hot little thing, (hot) babe.

Example:
- "Hee lekker ding, wil je met me dansen?"
("Hey babe, do you wanna dance with me?")

- "Het zijn de kleine dingen die het doen": The difference is in the little things.
- "<verzuchtend:> Dat zijn van die dingen...": <sighing:> These things...

Related words:
- "Zaak": case, affair [noun] [de zaak, de zaken].
- "Dinges/Dingetje": what's his/her name? [Used when you can't think of someone's name, see this funny Dutch commercial)

Extra:
In early nineties Dutch artist "Dingetje" (lit.: little thing) scored a modest hit with the song "Kaplaarzen" (jackboots). The song is (supposed to be) funny, because the lyrics are pretty stupid (about the purchase of a pair of jackboots), whereas the music has a tough housebeat accompanying a moaning woman....ah well....the nineties...:-)

Zwerver

tramp, vagabond, hobo, homeless person [noun] [de zwerver, de zwervers]

The word "zwerver" can also be translated with "drifter" or "wanderer", the associated verbs being "zwerven" or "rondzwerven" (see Related words). However, usually the meaning is more negative: "tramp" or "homeless person".

In the Netherlands we are not doing too badly in preventing people from becoming homeless. However, we do have our fair share of "zwervers" in the bigger cities. The situation seems to have improved in the last decade and one is not confronted with beggars as much as for example in the 80s.

Examples:
- "De zwerver probeerde wat geld te verdienen voor een slaapplaats door op straat liedjes te zingen."
("The tramp tried to make some money for a sleeping-place by singing songs on the street.") 

- "Ach moet je die zwerver zien, echt zielig..."
("My, look at that hobo, how sad/pitiful...")

- "Je hebt ook mensen die er voor kiezen om zwerver te zijn."
("There are people who choose to be homeless.")

- "In Italië lopen overal zwerfkatten."
("In Italy, stray cats are everywhere.") 

Related words:
- Zwerven: to wander, float, drift [verb] [zwierf, gezworven].
- Rondzwerven: to wander/roam about [verb] [zwierf rond, rondgezworven].

Examples:
- "Wie laat zijn kinderen nou zo laat op straat rondzwerven?"
("Who would let his children wander on the streets this late?")

- "We gaven de rondzwervende huisdieren wat eten en water."
("We gave the stray pets some food and water.")

- Bedelaar: beggar [noun] [de bedelaar, de bedelaars].
- Bedelen: to beg [verb] [bedelde, gebedeld].
- Dakloos: homeless [adjective]. Literally: "roofless".
- Dakloze: homeless person [noun] [de dakloze, daklozen].
- Verslaafd: addicted [adjective].
- Opvang: shelter [noun] [de opvang, no plural]. Usually this implies food and a bed.

Bierbuik

beer belly [noun] [de bierbuik, de bierbuiken]

"Bierbuik" is the Dutch word for "beer belly". It's definitely not a nice thing to say that someone has a beer belly. "Buik" is used in many other ways (see DWOTD "Buik") and the Dutch even use it as part of a verb (see "Extra").

Examples:
- "Als je zo doorgaat met bier drinken heb je op je 30e een bierbuik!"
("If you continue drinking beer like that you'll have beer belly when you're 30!" Note that in Dutch the word "beer" translates to "bear".)

- "Ondanks zijn bierbuik is het hem gelukt de marathon van New York uit te lopen!"
("Despite his beer belly, he managed to finish the New York marathon!")

- "Hij gaat elke week naar de sportschool om zijn bierbuik weg te krijgen, hij traint net zolang tot hij een wasbordje heeft."
("He goes to the gym every week to get rid of his beer belly, he will train until he has six pack abs." Please note that "wasbordje" literally means "washboard", the board that was used by your grandmother to wash clothes on.)

Related words: 
- "Buikspreker": ventriloquist [noun] [de buikspreker, de buiksprekers].
- "Buikpijn": stomachache [noun] [de buikpijn, no plural].
- "Buikje": little belly [noun] [het buikje, de buikjes].
- "Uitbuiken": digest your food comfortably [verb] [uitbuikte, uitgebuikt].

Extra:
When you sit back and relax after a lavish dinner, this is called "uitbuiken" in Dutch. Literally, it means something like "to stomach out", or give your stomach some room. Typically, people who are in the event of "uitbuiken" will stretch their legs and lean backwards on the couch or a chair to give their stomach some space.

Example:
- "Pff, ik heb zoveel gegeten, even uitbuiken!"
("Pff, I ate so much, let's sit back and relax!")

Verreweg

by far, far and away, easily [adverb]

"Verreweg" is composed of "ver" ("far") and "weg" ("way/road"). The additional "re" in the middle is basically glue, but comes natural to the Dutch speaker. Mind that without the "re" it would sound as "ver weg" which means "far away".

Examples:
-"Pieter van den Hoogenband is verreweg de meest succesvolle Nederlandse zwemmer."
("Pieter van den Hoogenband is easily the most successful Dutch swimmer." Read more about Pieter in the Extra below.)

- "Bea is verreweg het aardigste meisje dat je in de trein van Den Haag naar Amsterdam kan ontmoeten."
("Bea is by far / far and away the nicest girl who one can meet on the train from The Hague to Amsterdam.")

- "Ik was vroeger goed in alle vakken op school, maar ik vond wiskunde verreweg het leukste vak."
("I used to be proficient in all subjects at school, but mathematics was by far my favourite subject.")

Extra:
Other than being very successful, Pieter van den Hoogenband is also a very popular sportsman. In fact he has almost become a BN'er (Bekende Nederlander) by now. Pieter van den Hoogenband officially retired from professional swimming after the Beijing Olympics where he was not as successful as he and the entire Dutch population had hoped.
He was world record holder on the 100m freestyle for 8 years, a record set in Sydney 2000. In the past 6 months this record was broken 12 times, attributed to the recent advances in swimming attire of which the more force-driven swimmers seem to take most advantage. Pieter van den Hoogenband however was never renowned for his strength, but more for his technique.

Reason for Pieter's popularity outside the swimming pool is his genuine friendliness and down to earth, modest, mentality. A typical Pieter van den Hoogenband performance in this context is his reaction to his friend Maarten van der Weijden winning the 10km open water race during Beijing 2008. Check out this video of the last meters of Maarten's winning race (first wait for the commercial to end). You will hear Pieter - a commentator during the race - screaming euphorically and then after the race you will see him hugging Maarten. The fragment is taken from yesterday's talkshow "Holland Sport". If you are bored and your Dutch is good enough you can keep watching the show which is all about Pieter van den Hoogenband and Maarten van der Weijden. Another interesting note is the fact that Maarten van der Weijden recovered from leukaemia in 2001 and managed to return to professional swimming.

Troep

1. mess, rubbish, junk [noun] [de troep, no plural]

"Troep" is what you typically find in your attic: old junk. Quite a few synonyms exist for "troep" (see 'Related words'). "Troep" is also used to describe a disorganised state of a room or place, or - by some people - of a hairdo: the so-called "Coupe troep" ("Messy haircut") ;-)

Examples:
- "Zijn kamer is één grote troep omdat hij nooit opruimt."
("His room is one big mess bacuse he never tidies it".)

- "Heb je nog oude troep die ik op de rommelmarkt kan verkopen?"
("Do you have any old junk that I can sell on the rummage sale?")

- "Wat een troep! Halen ze het vuilnis niet op in dit land?"
("What a mess! Don't they collect the garbage in this country.")

Related words: 
- Bende: mess [noun] [de bende, no plural].
- Rotzooi: junk [noun] [de rotzooi, no plural].
- Zooi: mess [noun] [de zooi, no plural]. Also the diminutive is very common: zooitje.
- Rommel: junk [noun] [de rommel, no plural].

2. troop, body of soldiers [noun] [de troep, de troepen]

"Troep" - more often used in the plural 'troepen' - also has a totally different meaning: a group of soldiers. Beside the more cheerful news on the Olympic Games, you'll probably find this word in the headlines of this week's newspapers.

Examples: 
- "<Voorpagina van NRC vanochtend:> 'Russische troepen verlaten Gorï'."
("<Front page of NRC this morning:> 'Russian troops leave Gori'.")

- "De VN pleiten de inzet van vredestroepen in deze regio."
("The UN pleads for the deployment of peace troops in this region.")

Related words: 
- Vredesmacht: peacekeeping force [noun] [de vredesmacht, de vredesmachten].
- Leger: army [noun] [het leger, de legers].

Medaille

medal, prize-medal [noun] [de medaille, de medailles]

The word "medaille" is the topic of conversation on Dutch sport news these days, and probably not only in the Netherlands :-) Even though a small country, the Dutch participate in many sports at the Olympics, ranging from sailing to fencing. Sometimes we see Dutch sportsmen/women competing who we have never heard of!

The Dutch typically do well in hockey, swimming, rowing and judo where "we" expect some medals. We always have our hopes up for the Dutch volleyball teams, the cyclists and the gymnasts. So far the Netherlands is at the ninth place in the medal ranking ("medailleklassement") with one gold (4x100m Freestyle Relay Women - last time was in 1936!), one silver (Judo Women -57 kg) and one bronze medal (Judo Men -60 kg).

These Olympics there is excitement for the Dutch gymnast Epke Zonderland, who is the first Dutch (male) gymnast to participate since 1928.

Although the word "medaille" is borrowed from French, the pronunciation will be Dutchified :-) However, the practical rule is to at least try to approach the French pronunciation. Some fail miserably at this and talk of a "mee-dal-ju" where the "dal" is emphasized more significantly.

A slang word for "medaille" is "plak" ("slice"), and you might hear a Dutch winner talk about his or her "gouden plak".

Picture shows Dutch swimmers Femke Heemskerk, Inge Dekker, Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Marleen Veldhuis finishing first in the 4x100m freestyle relay (Reuters Press, NRC Handelsblad 11-08-2008).

Examples:
- "Nederland heeft tot nu toe drie medailles gewonnen."
("Up to now the Netherlands have won three medals.")

- "Als topsporter doe ik alles voor een gouden medaille!"
("Being a professional athlete/sportsman/sportswoman, I would do anything for a gold medal." A "topsporter" literally translates to a "top sportsman".)

- "Vertel ons eens, hoe voel je je, nu dat je geen medaille hebt behaald?"
("Now that you have not won a medal, tell us, how do you feel?" The verb "behalen" can also be translated with "to obtain" or "to achieve".)

- "Het winnen van een gouden medaille op de Olympische spelen was mijn droom. Nu is deze droom in duigen."
("Winning a gold medal at the Olympics was my dream. Now this dream is shattered. Note that "in duigen" is short for "in duigen gevallen".)

Expression:
- "Elke medaille heeft een keerzijde": every medal has two sides / its reverse.

Related words:
- Olympische spelen: Olympic games, Olympics.
- Medaillewinnaar: medallist [noun] [de winnaar, de winnaars]. Literally a "medal winner".
- Medailleklassement: medal ranking [noun] [het klassement, de klassementen].
- Plak: slice. Slang for "medal" [noun] [de plak, de plakken].

Zenuwachtig

nervous, tense [adjective, adverb]

"Zenuwachtig" is related to the word "zenuw" which means "nerve" (the plural is "zenuwen" which can be translated with "nerves"). A synonym of "zenuwachtig" is "nerveus" which is closely related to the English "nervous".

Examples:
- "Hij bijt altijd op zijn nagels als hij zenuwachtig is."
("He always bites his nails when he is nervous".)

- "Doe niet zo zenuwachtig; je maakt me nerveus."
("Stop fidgeting; you're making me nervous.")

Expressions:
- "Op iemands zenuwen werken": to grate under someone's skin.

Example:
- "De huilende baby werkte me op mijn zenuwen."
("The crying baby got on my nerves.")

- "Op zijn van de zenuwen": to be a nervous wreck (please note that the emphasis is on "op").

Example:
- "De Miss Universe-kandidate was op van de zenuwen toen ze de vraag over klimaatverandering moest beantwoorden."
("De Miss Universe-candidate's nerves were in tatters when she had to answer the question on climate change.")

- "Stalen zenuwen hebben": to have nerves of steel.

Related words: 
- Zenuwpees: fidget [noun] [de zenuwpees, de zenuwpezen].
- Nerveus: nervous [adjective].

Uitstellen

to postpone, to put off, to procrastinate [verb] [stelde uit, uitgesteld] ['uit-stel-lun']

Note that there is no direct translation of "to procrastinate" in  Dutch. It will be either clear from context that you are (once again :-) ) procrastinating, or if you want to be clear you can use "voortdurend uitstellen" (to keep putting off).

Examples:
- "Heb je ook gemerkt dat Frank zijn werk uitstelt?"
("Have you also noticed that Frank puts off his work?")

- "Ik heb de neiging om lastige telefoontjes uit te stellen, jij ook?"
("I tend to put off tricky phone calls, you too?" Lit. "I have the tendency to..." Note that a "telefoontje" is literally a small telephone, but most common a popular word for a phone call.)

- "De wedstrijd tussen Ajax en Feyenoord is uitgesteld wegens slecht weer."
("Due to bad weather the match between Ajax and Feyenoord has been postponed.")

- "David is echt lui, hij stelt altijd alles continu uit!"
("David is really lazy, he is always procrastinating!" The word "continu" is a synonym for "voortdurend".)

Expressions:
- "Stel niet uit tot morgen wat je vandaag kan doen": never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
- "Van uitstel komt afstel": this expression is used as a warning; if you keep putting something off, it will not happen anymore ("afstel").

Related words:
- Uitstel: postponement [noun] [het uitstel, no plural].
- Lui: lazy [adjective].

Hitte

heat [noun] [de hitte, no plural] ['hi-tu']

It isn't quite applicable to the Netherlands (yet?), but in this season we should be closest ever to heat. 'Hitte' is what the Dutch use when the weather is beyond 'warm', and you can hear them exclaim behind their fans: 'Wat een hitte!' (see examples).

Examples:
- "Door de wind en de aanhoudende hitte is het vrijwel onmogelijk de bosbranden te blussen."
("Due to the wind and the continuing heat it's almost impossible to extinguish the forest fires".)

- "Wat een hitte! Ik ga lekker afkoelen in het zwembad."
("What a heat! I'm heading to the swimming pool to chill.")

- "De hitte was de grootste tegenstander van de tennisspelers."
("The heat was the tennis players' biggest enemy.")

- "Het zuiden van Spanje is in de greep van een hittegolf."
("The south of Spain is in the grip of a heat wave.")

- "<Omslag van het boek:> Hitte - hoe voorkomen we dat de planeet verbrandt?"
("<Cover of the book:> Heat - How can we prevent the planet from burning down?")

- "Zijn die borden wel hittebestendig? Anders kun je ze beter niet in de oven doen."
("Are those plates heat-resistant? Otherwise you'd better not put them in the oven.")

Expressions:
- "In de hitte van de strijd" or "In het heetst van de strijd": in the heat of the battle/moment.

Example:
- "In de hitte van de strijd botsten de twee wielrenners tegen elkaar en vielen."
("In the heat of the battle, the two cyclists collided and fell".

Extra:
You'd expect that a country like The Netherlands wouldn't need it, but The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut, KNMI) closely watches the Heat-index (Hitte-index) to warn the Dutch population in case of heat waves. Check out their website for more info.

Related words: 
- Hittegolf [noun] [de hittegolf, de hittegolven]: heat wave.
- Hittebestendig [adjective]: heat-resistant.
- Heet [adjective]: hot.

Tussendoortje

(little) snack [noun] [het tussendoortje, de tussendoortjes] ['tus-sun-door-tju']

And we're back! Well...at least for the next three weeks of our summer schedule :-)

In a certain way, you could consider this DWOTD to be a "tussendoortje": something that is consumated quickly between two main activities/meals...usually a food snack, though "tussendoortje" can also be used figuratively.

Examples:
- "Ik ben op dieet, dus dat betekent geen tussendoortjes meer..."
("I'm on a diet, so that means no more snacks...")

- "<De ene vampier tegen de andere:> We boffen...deze jonge maagd is een lekker tussendoortje!"
("<One vampire to the other:> We are fortunate...this young virgin will be a tasty snack!")

- "Wat heeft Frank een dikke buik gekregen!" - "Tja, dat krijg je van al die tussendoortjes..."
("Frank's belly has become really big!" - "Well, that's what you get from all those little snacks..." Lit.: "What a big belly has Frank gotten!" - ...)

Related words:
- "Tussen": (in) between.
- "Door": through.
- "Tussendoor": in between, through.
- "Snack": snack.
- "Dieet": diet.

Extra:
Did you know that diminutives always have the neuter gender? So, for example, it's:
- "het tussendoortje, de tussendoortjes": the (little) snack.
- "het meisje, de meisjes": the girl.
- "het huisje, de meisjes": the little house.
- "het scheetje, de scheetjes": the little fart.
The plural form of a diminutive always ends on "s".

Vluggertje

quickie [noun] [het vluggertje, de vluggertjes] ['vlu-gur-tju']

"Vluggertje" is derived from "vlug": quick, fast, rapid. "Vluggertje" is mostly used in a sexual context, but also applies to more general contexts where something is done quickly, like writing a Dutch Word Of The Day, for example... :-)

Its use is informal, sometimes derogatory.

Examples:
- "Marc, kun jij even snel een DWOTD schrijven?" - "Nou, dat wordt dan een vluggertje."
("Marc, can you write a DWOTD just quickly?" - "Well, that's going to be a quickie then.")

- "Zullen we nog een afzakkertje doen?" - "Een vluggertje dan."
("Shall we have one for the road?" - "A quickie then.")

- "Schat, heb je zin in een vluggertje?"
("Babe, do you fancy a quickie?")

Related words:
- "Vlug": quick, fast, rapid.
- "Snel": quick, swift, fast.
- "Nummertje": [noun] shag. Lit.: "little number".

Knikken

1. to nodd [verb] [knikte, geknikt] ['knik-kun']

"Knikken" is mostly used in the meaning ‘to nodd (in agreement)’, jaknikken (lit: ‘to nodd yes’). The related noun is "jaknikker" which can be translated as "yes-man" or "nodder". Because of its appearance, pumpjacks or nodding donkeys (see picture below) are called "jaknikkers" in Dutch.

Examples:
- "Ze knikte ja maar volgens mij snapte ze er geen woord van."
("She nodded (in agreement), but I think she didn’t understand a word". Lit: "She nodded yes but according to me she didn’t understand a word of it.")

- "Jaknikkers kunnen we niet gebruiken in dit bedrijf; we zoeken mensen met lef!"
("We don’t need nodders in this company; we are looking for people with guts!")

- “De jaknikkers zagen er indrukwekkend uit in het lege landschap."
("The grasshoppers looked impressive in the empty landscape.")

Related words: 
- "Jaknikker" [noun] [de jaknikker, de jaknikkers]: yes-man, nodder.
- "Jaknikker" [noun] [de jaknikker, de jaknikkers]: pumpjack, nodding donkey, grasshopper.
- "Knik" [noun] [de knik, de knikken]: nodd.

2. to twist, to fold, to bend [verb] [knikte, geknikt] ['knik-kun']

Another meaning of "knikken" is "to bend (sharply)". In this context a "knik" is a "bend", "kink" or "twist". Besides "knikken" you will see the synonymous "knakken" more often, see the Examples.

Examples:
- "De bloemstelen waren geknakt door de regen."
("The flowers stalks were bent by the rain.")

- "Met knikkende knieën stapte zij op hem af."
("She approached him with knocking knees.")

Related words: 
- "Knakken": to crack, to snap, to break.

Klef

1. sticky, clammy, soggy [adjective] ['klef']

Today's weather is an example of "klef": very warm, moist and damp (at least for Dutch standards...:-) ). In this context, the synonymous "klam" is also used a lot.

Examples:
- "Wat een klef weer vandaag! Ik zweet als een otter..."
("Such clammy weather today! I'm sweating like a pig..." Lit.: "...like an otter...")

- "Dit kleffe weer leidt waarschijnlijk tot een onweer later vanmiddag."
("This sticky weather will probably lead to a thunderstorm later this afternoon.")

Related words:
- "Klam": clammy, moist, damp.
- "Vochtig": damp, humid.
- "Plakkerig": sticky.

2. sticky, gooey [adjective] ['klef'] 

Food can also be "klef". See the Examples.

Examples:
- "Deze boterham is helemaal klef geworden door het klamme weer."
("This sandwich has turned completely gooey because of the clammy weather.")

- "Ik ga even een snack uit de muur trekken." - "Bah, kleffe hap man.."
("I'm gonna quickly grab a snack from the vending machine." - "Yech, gooey stuff man..." Lit.: "...gooey bite...")

3. clinging (to one another) [adjective] ['klef'] 

And even people can be "klef", when they're constantly clinging to each other, giving each other hugs and kisses while holding hands all the time... In this context, the activity of being "klef" is called "kleffen".

Examples:
- "Frank en zijn vriendin waren op het feestje verschrikkelijk klef."
("Frank and his girlfriend were constantly clinging to each other at the party.")

- "Kijk Myra en Jan...ze zijn enorm aan het kleffen!"
("Look at Myra and Jan... they're really clinging to each other.")

Related words:
- "Verliefd": in love.

Pleister

1. plaster, band-aid [noun] [de pleister, de pleisters] ['plei-ster']

Een "pleister" is what you put on small wounds to stop them from bleeding. When the wound is larger, or after surgery, the wounds are protected by bandages, which are translated by "verband" (singular). A second meaning of "pleister" is explained below.

Examples:
- "Heb je een pleister voor me? Ik heb mijn vinger net gesneden aan de rand van die envelop."
("Do you have a plaster for me? I've just cut my finger on the edge of that envelope".)

- "De pleisters lieten los toen ze nat waren geworden."
("The plasters came off after they'd become wet.")

- "Haar hoofd was in verband gewikkeld na de plastische chirurgie."
("Her head was packed in bandages after the plastic surgery.")

Expressions:
- "Een pleister op de wonde zijn": to be a consolation.

Example:
- "Turkije zal niet in de finale van het EK spelen. Dat ze zo ver zijn gekomen, is een pleister op de wonde."
("Turkey will not play in the final of the European Football Championship. It's a consolation that they've made it this far". Lit.: "That they've made it this far, is a consolation".)

Related words:
- Verband [noun] [het verband, de verbanden]: the bandage.

2. plaster, stucco [noun] [het pleister(werk), no plural] ['plei-ster']

Another meaning of "pleister" or "pleisterwerk' is stucco (see picture).

Example:
- "Als het pleisterwerk goed is gedroogd, kunnen we de muren gaan verven."
("Once the stucco has dried well, we can start painting the walls.")

Voorbij

1. past, over, gone, finished, done with [adjective] ['foor-bij'] 

"Voorbij" is a versatile word, you can use it in different contexts.

In this first context, a certain feeling of melancholy is inevitable. Check out this video of Dutch icon André Hazes (check out the lyrics here), regretting the break-up with his (ex-) girlfriend...

Examples:
- "Na Oranje, is het EK nu ook voorbij voor de Turken...balen!"
("After the Netherlands, the European soccer championship tournament is now also finished for Turkey...bummer!" Lit.: "...for the Turks...")

- "Een x-aantal jaren zijn nu voorbij, maar er is eigenlijk niks veranderd..."
("Several years have passed now, but nothing has changed really..." Lit.: "Several years are past now...")

- "Heb je nog een afspraakje gehad met Linda?" - "Nee jongen, dat is voorbij, ik heb een blauwtje gelopen."
("Now did you have that date with Linda?" - "No dude, that's over, she turned me down.")

Expressions:
- "Voorbije tijden": bygone times.

Related words:
- "Over": over.
- "Aflopen" [verb] [liep af, afgelopen]: to (come to an) end, to finish.
- "Einde" [noun] [het einde, de eindes]: end.

2. past, by, beyond [adverb] ['foor-bij'] 

You can use "voorbij" as an adverb to indicate that something/someone has passed a certain (physical) location or certain point in time.

Examples:
- "Kunt u mij vertellen waar het postkantoor is?" - "O, daar bent u net voorbij."
("Can you tell where the post office is?" - "Oh, you've just passed it.")

- "Heeft ze weer zo'n bui?" - "Ach, dat gaat wel weer voorbij..."
("Is she having one of her moods again?" - "Ah well, it'll blow over..."

Related words:
- "Verder" [adjective/adverb]: further, farther.
- "Achter"  [preposition]: behind.
- "Terug" [adverb]: back.

3. beyond, past [preposition] ['foor-bij'] 

Examples:
- "De raket ging voorbij het doel."
("The missile went past the target.")

- "Frank, doe niet zo betweterig, dat soort onderzoek doen we niet want dat is voorbij de scope van dit project!"
("Frank, don't be such a pedantic, we will not perform that kind of research because it's beyond the scope of this project!")

Invullen

to fill in/out/up, to enter, to complete [verb] [vulde in, ingevuld] ['in-vul-lun']

The verb "vullen" translates to "to fill". You can choose from a number of prepositions to specify the kind of "vullen" you would like to do: "aan-", "op-", or "in-". In the case of "in" and "op" it's easy to guess. Look up "aanvullen" in the dictionary and "complete" this explanation yourself ;-)

Examples:
- "Heb jij je belastingformulier al ingevuld?"
("Have you filled in / filled out / completed your tax form yet?")

- "Vul hier uw naam in."
("Enter / fill in / fill out your name here.")

- "Het aanmeldformulier invullen met blokletters alstublieft."
("Fill out the registration/application form in print please.")

- "Stuur de bon ingevuld terug en maak kans op een prijs!"
("Return the completed coupon and have a chance to win a prize!")

- "Ik wil graag een klachtenformulier invullen, kan dat?" - "Nee, dat kan niet. Wilt u daarover een klacht indienen?"
("I would like to fill in/out a comment/complaint form, is that possible?" - "No, that is not possible. Would you like to file a complaint about that?")

- "Ik wil eerst een algemene beschrijving van het projectplan. De details vullen we later in."
("I want a general description of the project plan first. We'll fill in the details later.")

Expressions:
- "Vul maar in": and so on/forth, and all that jazz.
- "Een geheel eigen invulling": a highly personal interpretation.

Related words:
- "Regis